Nightmares Through The Rain
by PissedxOffxPrincessx18
Summary: She tries to mask her pain by becoming ANBU. But in the darkness of her mind it's just an easier, less messy way to die... So what does an A ranked seduction mission have to do with this? Sakura x Neji -rated M for language. non lemon for now-
1. Haunting Past

**Disclaimer: I do not own the anime/manga series Naruto. All rights go to the brilliant mind of Masashi Kishimoto-san.**

**A/N:** I wasn't quite sure what pairing this should be under at first. But! I finally figured it out as you can see. But, I must warn you, there is a slight Sasuke x Sakura scene in this chapter, only in dreams. Why, I have absolutely no idea. I'm an Itachi fan, myself XD. Just some depressing thoughts and what knot. The first chapter or two might be angst, but it slides into humor in some parts later on. But not as much.. Though even for the 'scene' it will eventually -and only- be **Neji x Sakura... **You'll just have to deal with filler chapters until I get to it.

**Extended Summary:** Pain even follows her in her dreams. She wishes it would end and thinks there is one and only way to stop it-- attemptedly taking her life. But nothing seems to help her ease the pain after the first attempt fails. The only thing to keep her away from hurting herself seems to be her determination to pass the Jonin exams as she prepares to take the ANBU exams. Is this her escape or just a quicker and less noticeable way to want to die? Even though everyone seemed to have over looked this key detail, to a certain silvery eyed ANBU captain it was the most obvious thing in the world. And missions under the rank of Jonin was the only way to keep her away from completing her goal. But it ends in a way even he couldn't have foreseen. Why is it there is only one thing that seems to stop the pain? And... What the heck does this have to do with an A ranked seduction mission... Wait, a seduction _what!?_

**WARNING: Attempted Suicide (non-emo mind you), just skip it if your squeamish. (Changing the rating to M just in case.)  
Some minor sexual content.**

**Ages:  
**Sakura - 16  
Naruto - 15 1/2  
Ino - 15 1/2  
Kakashi - 29 1/2

Enjoy!

* * *

**.:Chapter One:.**

"Haunting Past"

* * *

_She sat there on the stone bench, waiting. The setting sun made the air around her much cooler as the minutes passed. She had her hands on her knees, slightly shaking from both the cold and severe nervousness. __What was she going to say if he showed up, would he even listen to her, would he at least hear her out while she confessed her true deep heartfelt feelings for him? __The more she thought about it the more she felt her stomach turn with the regret of not being able to tell him. To watch him just walk away from her, not sparing a second glance or him just telling her how pathetic she is. _

_'Please, hear me out just this once.' she pleaded in her mind._

_"How annoying." Came an irritated voice somewhere in front of her. _

_She felt her stomach clench again as more overwhelming emotions ran through her. She turned to see the very person who put her in this state. Hands in his pockets, looking annoyed. Typical._

"What?" she asked quietly.

_He scoffed and looked away. "You're waiting here because of me, aren't you." _

_She could catch the faint mocking tone in his irritated statement. Which clearly, in his own way, called her a weak little girl who couldn't do anything but die without her teammates._

_Taking a deep breath of courage she stood up, looking directly in front of her so she couldn't see him. She might not be able to say this if she didn't. "Why are you leaving Konoha? And don't use that 'I'm an avenger' speech or the needing power to kill your brother," Her head lowered and her bangs hid her eyes. She spoke quietly, almost timidly. "Because you sound like a broken record when you do." __Without looking she could practically feel his eyes burning a hole through her from the glare he was giving. And she was sure the look he had could have killed her ten times over, if looks could kill. _

_"I don't have time for this." He all but growled and continued to walk passed her. _

_Her head shot up before he got too far. "__Please don't go!" __He stopped and looked back at her curiously, then surprised when he saw tears streaming down her face. __She continued. "Why do you have to leave, why can't you just stay here and train with us and--!" _

_"I don't belong here." He answered, his back now facing her. All she could focus on was the Uchiha fan on his back. "From now on this place is nothing more than my past. I will leave and find true power." he shook his head. "I **need** to find it."_

_She tried to keep her eyes focused on him but failed when more tears clouded her vision. "But why leave? We can help you... **I** can help you!" _

_"My path in life is different from yours and Naruto's. I can't stay here. I am an avenger, but before I can avenge my clan I must have power. One great enough to carry out my plans. That, is my path." _

_"Even if that means becoming one of Orochimaru's pawns!?" _

_"If I am able to kill **him**... then I don't really care." _

_"What kind of path is that if you could die!" _

_"My own." _

_She choked out another sob. Her throat was killing her from forcing herself not to cry earlier and crying now. "But I could go with you!" _

_"Why?" _

_"Because..." her voice began to crack. "Because I love you! I know this is more than just some childish crush because I wouldn't be here if it was! Please, if you wont stay then let me go with you!" _

_"No."_

_She felt her heart sink. The tears that had reformed on corners of her eyes falling freely now. "Why not?" _

_"This is something I need to do alone." _

_She let herself drop to her knees, ignoring the pain that shot up them in doing so. Her was head downcast as she shook with even more sobs. "T-Then if you wont stay o-or let me go with you... then could you at least acknowledge my feelings for you? I don't expect you to return them. Just to at least accept that I care for you." She said in a soft whisper. The blood thumped in her ears as she closed her eyes tight. Her heart sank even more when she heard the sound of faint foot steps until they stopped completely. She jumped when she felt something warm around her waist. _

_"I already have." _

_She blinked and looked up. He was knelt in front of her and... had his arms around her? __"What are--" __She gasped from shock when she felt his lips against hers but she relaxed and deepened the kiss. Her__ mind was cloudy. She wasn't sure if this was really happening or not. The only sign of this being real was the feeling of his arms around her and his lips on hers. __As much as she didn't want this to end, it did. _

_"You would go with me, even if it meant your life being at stake?" He questioned, not looking at her but over her shoulder as if he was looking at someone else entirely. __She finally blinked out of her dumbfounded state and nodded shyly. __"And even if you can never come back here and would have to do whatever I, or someone else tells you to do?" _

_Feeling a little courage, she nodded again. "Yes." _

_She watched as his stoic expression went to one of confusion and curiosity. "Why?" _

_She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Because I love you more than anything, even if my love for you is one sided. And to prove it, I'm willing to do whatever it takes." She said in a shaky voice. When she finally opened her eyes she was surprised to see he had a smirk and was actually looking at her. The action alone caused a faint color similar to her hair to appear on her face. _

_"Who said anything about it being one sided." __She stared wide eyed at him but froze from any further movement when his lips got dangerously close to hers. __"Too bad. Maybe if that had happened, things might have ended differently... Sakura."_

* * *

Sakura bolted up with a startled gasp. Breathing rapidly she put a hand to her sweat covered forehead, the dream playing through her mind like a broken movie projector. A few tears passed through her lashes as she cried silently, sitting in the darkness of her room in the middle of the bed. The sound of rain pouring loudly outside muffled the sobs that escaped here and there. The occasional flash of lightening lit her room as the loud booming and crackling of thunder shook the glass of water on her nightstand due to her open window, letting a few raindrops come in and land on the hard wood floor. It was already worn and bubbled from exposure to light and several storms before then.

Grabbing a big fluffy white pillow, she wrapped her arms around it and leaned her face into the coolness of the soft material. Tightening her hug like grip on the pillow, she thought of her dream one last time. One name weighing her heart down as a few more tears fell from her eyes and onto the pillow just before sleep claimed her again.

"Sasuke..."

* * *

Naruto sat at Ichiraku's, fidgeting. One would figure since he and Sakura haven't seen each other but a few times in the last year that she'd be there before he was. It's not like the pink haired kunoichi was the same as she had been as a Genin. She actually liked him now, even if there was still a little violence in their friendship, but she certainly wouldn't blow off plans she made with him. Sakura was an hour late and it was already two in the afternoon. Naruto was already on his fourth bowl of ramen, too.

After he finished his food he paid he went to the nearest phone booth to call her. It seemed to ring forever until there was a click and beep on the other line. _"Hey, you've reached Haruno Sakura, sorry I can't make it to the phone right now, but leave a name and number and I'll get back to you as--" _He hung the phone up and started walking towards her apartment. Naruto _knew_ today was her day off.

On the way there he passed the Yamanaka flower shop but didn't see Sakura anywhere, only Ino messing with a set of keys in the door. Not long after he passed by he could hear hurried footsteps behind him.

"Hey, Naruto!" Ino called out, jogging up to him.

"Hey Ino."

Ino blinked at his non enthusiastic reply. "Have you seen Sakura?" she asked, pulling out a beautiful silver charm bracelet before putting it back in a pocket in her skirt. "She wanted me to fix this for her but when I did I couldn't get a hold of her."

"I was about to go to her apartment, you wanna come with me?" He had a bad feeling for some reason. Was Sakura okay?

Ino sighed before nodding. "Might as well. Forehead probably forgot all about the bracelet."

After a couple more blocks they reached the old brick and concrete building her apartment complex was in and went up the stairs to the second floor, stopping outside of door two-nineteen.

Naruto knocked first. "Hey Sakura-chan, you home?!"

"She _has_ to be home. Sakura worked a late shift last night at the hospital because they were short handed with medics." after hearing no movement inside, Ino hip-checked him out of her way. "And you being her ex-teammate, you should know that she's a deep sleeper when she's tried. HEY FOREHEAD GIRL OPEN YOUR DAMN DOOR BEFORE I BUST IT DOWN!!" Ino yelled. Several minutes passed and they still heard nothing.

"Maybe she's on a mission?" Naruto suggested.

"I don't know, not with how much she's been working at the hospital lately. If she was on a mission she would have told me or left some kind of note. The last time I heard from her was yesterday morning when she dropped off the bracelet, and I know she's still here."

Naruto walked closer to the door, pressing an ear against it. His eyes squinted together. "Hey, hey! Do you hear that?"

"Huh? I don't hear anything, maybe you're just--"

"Shh! Come here." he motioned for her to come closer towards the door.

Ino scowled at being shushed but complied and leaned in. There was a very, very faint beeping sound on the other side of the thick wooden door.

"What is that?"

"Alarm clock?" Ino wondered idly. Just as she pulled her ear away from the door, Naruto kicked it open with a loud BOOM echoing through the halls. The sound of wood splinters falling and popping echoed soon after. Ino jumped back, absolutely horrified. "Naruto, you idiot why in the hell did you do that!? She could have just forgotten it was on!"

Naruto laughed nervously, scratching the back of his spiky blonde head. "Oh... I didn't think about that."

Ino slapped her forehead and sighed.

Naruto walked over the broken remains that used to be her front door and into the kitchen. "Hey Sakura-chan!" Naruto called again, going into the living room. A chair was knocked over so he turned it upright. He sighed a little to himself in relief when he heard Ino speaking in the next room.

"Hey! Do you realize it's almost three in the afternoon? I know you have the day off and all but that doesn't mean you can sleep the day away. Urrgh. Forehead what the hell are you doing wake--!!" There was a long pause in the other room before Ino screamed as loud as she possibly could.

Naruto's face flushed from the possible scenarios and stumbled over the chair before running into Sakura's bedroom. Ino was sitting on the floor a few feet from the foot of the bed shaking and clutching Sakura's comforter in her hands. It looked like she'd just seen a ghost.

Naruto looked towards the bed. Sakura was laying there in the middle. At first he thought she was just sleeping all curled up until he saw how her right arm was stretched out with a few deep bruised gashes in her arm and wrist, a kunai in her other hand held loosely. The once white sheets soaked up most of the blood and turned a dark brownish red where the blood had begun to dry around the edges of the stains. He could faintly see the blood still pulsing from her arm, the skin split back. He was sure he could see the bone through the torn muscles and veins.

Naruto could feel the ramen turn in his stomach and practically jumped on the bed to check her pulse. Barely anything, but it was something. Under her right shoulder he noticed there was a black thin framed picture. From the only two people he could see in the old picture that was covered with blood spatter, he knew it was of team seven. The _original _team seven. Naruto growled under his breath and looked back to Ino who was still frozen in shock.

"Damn it Ino don't just sit there get up and help me!" he yelled, panicking out of his mind.

Ino blinked and stood up quickly, grabbing a stray pillow and yanking off it's casing to tear it into thick strips, shakily wrapping it tight around Sakura's arm. "We have to take her to the hospital right now, I can't do anything for it, she's lost too much blood!!" Ino said in a quick stutter, tying the cloth tight enough.

Naruto carefully placed Sakura's wounded arm across her stomach and took the kunai from her other hand, throwing it hard into the wall behind him before lifting her bridal style and darting out of the apartment as fast as his chakra filled feet could take him, leaving Ino to follow at a distance.

After they got her to the hospital they were sent, by force, to the waiting room... That was four hours ago.

Naruto was currently leaning against a bare white wall. Ino was sitting across from him in one of the uncomfortable plastic hospital chairs, silently crying for her best friend. Even though a guy drove them apart once and they always argued and called each other rivals-- that still didn't change their sister-like bond. The both of them would rather bite their tongues than admit it, but they worried about each other a lot.

A nurse had finally came out a while ago saying Sakura only had four pints of blood left in her and if they had waited any longer, she would have without a doubt bled to death. They were still in the process of giving her a transfusion.

When Ino looked up, Naruto was no longer there.

* * *

Kakashi was at his usual spot at the bar... Well, not that he drank often, especially in public. Why risk having half of the kunoichi population stalking him? In places like this, the mask stayed put until further notice. Usually he'd just sit there reading a certain (heehee) kind of book while the others held the conversation. He would comment about something now and again, but for the most part he was so absorbed in his reading that he'd just end up ignoring them.

Right now Genma was talking away about some woman he met the other night. Asuma, Kurenai and Kakashi started ignoring him, accept for Gai, when the details began to turn graphic.

"--that surprised the hell out of me! I didn't know a kunoichi could be _that_ flexible. So when I called her the other night, she said she had this really..." Genma suddenly let his sentence fade at the sight of the blonde haired shinobi standing behind Kakashi. His head was down as if there was a dark cloud over him and his shoulders were slumped. Dried blood covered the bright orange part of his jacket. "Damn kid, you look like hell." Genma commented. The other three at the table looked up at the change in conversation.

"Kakashi-sensei." Naruto said in a serious but quiet tone. It sounded nothing like his usual self.

Back still facing him, Kakashi simply asked. "Naruto, what's wrong?" For all he knew, the hyperactive blonde could've been depressed for Sakura beating him up again or he had something completely idiotic to whine about. It was usually the only times he sought out the silver haired nin, unless it was to train.

Naruto kept his narrowed blue eyes on the ground. He didn't answer. He didn't know _how_ to answer, but his feet carried him here anyway. Who else could he turn to in a situation like this? It's not like he could go tell Sakura's mother-- she had passed away a few years ago.

"Who's blood is that?" Asuma asked.

Finally catching the silver haired Jonin's attention, Kakashi turned around to see Naruto covered from his neck down with dried blood and a depressing aura hovering over him. He knew that look. It was the look of something gone terribly wrong, like a mission gone wrong or something. His thoughts couldn't have been close to what the blonde said next.

Naruto's fists clenched as he growled out, "Kakashi-sensei... it's Sakura-chan..."

The sound of a sake glass dropping and rolling off the table echoed in the noisy place, Kakashi's hand still in mid air. Nothing but horrible images and thoughts flashed thought Kakashi's mind as he tried to figure out what happened and why Naruto was covered in blood. It almost made him sick.

"We shouldn't talk here, we should get back to the hospital." Naruto growled out again. Not even waiting for a reply he turned and went for the exit.

Kakashi got up and followed suit, simply telling the others that he'd see them around some other time, once he gained a little composure. When he finally caught up to Naruto, the young shinobi finally started out the rage he tried his best to hold back.

"That bastard!! I'll find him and kill him if I have to this time!!" Naruto yelled.

"Naruto, who are you talking about and what is this about Sakura, _what happened_ to Sakura?"

"He'll pay for what he did this time you can dount on it. She did it because of him, there's no other explanation for it. I wont forgive him for this, I can't--!"

"Naruto!"

Naruto sighed and kept his eyes on the path in front of him. "I was supposed to meet Sakura-chan today but she was late, so me and Ino went to her apartment. We got no answer so I kicked the door in, then I hear Ino scream and I went into her room and... she... Sakura-chan tried to kill herself!" Naruto growled out again, shaking his head to get rid of that horrible sentence in his mind.

For a moment Kakashi's steps faltered. "Sakura? No, she's not stupid. She wouldn't do something like that, she couldn't have."

"Well she is and she did! She was curled up into a ball in the middle of her bed, wrist and arm all sliced up and a kunai in hand!"

"Is she okay now, where is she?"

"She's at the hospital. They had to give her a blood transfusion... She almost _died_, Kakashi-sensei." he replied, voice becoming softer now. "When we found her I saw a picture of the old team seven next to her. She did it because of that bastard, I know it."

Kakashi returned to his thoughts as they entered the place he despised the most. _'Sakura tried to commit suicide? No, that sounds too wrong. Why would she? If it does have anything to do with him, it's been four years since he left so why now? I thought she made it clear that she didn't love him anymore?' _It seemed no matter how hard he tried, Kakashi only came up with more questions than answers. This sounded like a prank though because Sakura was the type of person who was against self inflicted death... Hell, even he was and for good reason. So what drove her over the edge like this?

Ino had her elbows on her knees and her head in her hands. She stopped crying a while ago but her eyes were still red and puffy, and for once, she really didn't care. Ino jumped when Naruto slumped down in the chair next to her.

Kakashi sat down to her left, looking more worried than his usual bored aloof self. "How is she?"

Ino rubbed her tired eyes with the back of her hand, leaning back into the chair. "The nurse came out just a few minutes ago and said that she's stable now, but needs more rest. She's still hooked up to the transfusion."

Kakashi stared off into space, thinking. Because for a smart girl like Sakura, she sure was stupid.

Trying to take the easy way out from her pain.

* * *

Weeks had passed since Sakura's 'accident' and not many people knew about it. But for those who did, they kept a very close watch on her. So far Tsunade, Naruto, Kakashi, Ino and Shizune had lectured her over it, and it always came down to,

"Why would you do something like that to yourself?"

But she never answered them. At first it was because she didn't have an answer _to_ give. When she finally did come up with a reason they never said anything further, being to shocked that she of all people could be capable of such a way of thinking.

"The more I thought about him the more I'd cry. The more it would hurt and the pain would just keep getting worse. I didn't want to feel the pain anymore. So when I did it, the pain finally went away." she told them.

That was the same quiet response she just gave Ino also. They were at a small homey family restaurant in a booth by the wall at the far end of the room.

Ino sat there wide eyed. "But why would you want to destroy your own body over it? How could psychical pain be any better than the pain that's in your heart?" she breathed out quietly.

It surprised Sakura. No one usually continued after she said that. "To tell you the truth, I didn't really feel anything. If I did I don't remember it. There was no searing pain, no ungodly sting. Nothing but the dull coolness of the blade going into my skin and the warmth of my blood."

Ino cupped a hand over her mouth, shaking her head rapidly with closed eyes. She couldn't handle that sort of morbid talk when she was eating. She muffled out a, "No, please stop, Sakura."

Sakura looked off to the right at the other tables with an odd dull blankness about her. "You asked why."

After taking a few good deep breaths, Ino calmed herself down. "But... you almost _died,_ Sakura!" she scolded quietly. "If Naruto and I didn't find you when we did then you wouldn't even be here right now, what were you thinking?!"

Sakura leaned her head against the high back of the booth, still looking away blankly. "That I could escape the pain and those damn dreams." she answered truthfully. After being questioned further about them, Sakura explained what happened in her last dream the best she could remember.

Ino's mouth was slightly agape. She was fully interested in these dreams of hers now. "Okay, you said that you both were still thirteen. Were you always that age in them?"

Sakura stared down at her half empty plate and picked up a ketchup covered french fry, thinking. When she finished it she answered. "Yeah, the ones I can remember anyway."

"That's strange." Ino mused, sitting back.

"Well, all of the dreams take off around the time that he left so that was the last time I seen him." Sakura shook her head. "No, I saw him once sicne then, but he's changed too much. I don't remember him like that."

After that it got quiet. Well, the sound of many others talking was still there along with the occasional ringing of the door signaling new customers and hearty laughter from big groups at the longer tables. When they both finished the rest of their food, they got up.

"So, I guess I'll see you later." Sakura said, turning to walk away.

"Hey! Can I stay a few nights at your apartment? I know it's asking a lot but I'm having mine repainted and it needs to 'air out' so I don't 'pass out.'"

Sakura chuckled. "I don't mind. Just get your things and I'll meet you there, I still need to run to the store."

They continued their way towards the exit, chatting along the way. All the while, a certain silvery eyed seventeen year old Jonin sat in silent (yet not visible) shock. He just happened to over hear their conversation while waiting for his old teammates to arrive, seeing as how he was in a booth just behind them.

And not that he knew the girl personally or anything but, _Haruno Sakura_, the same girl who obsessed over her brooding teammate, the same pink haired medic-nin who was always just as hyper as that loud mouth Naruto, tried to take her own life? Even though it was over the same guy, she did it because of the pain of her feelings for him. Knowing he chose power over everything... even her.

He looked up when he saw his teammates sit down at the table.

"Hey Neji, sorry we're late." Tenten smiled.

"What a glorious day this is!"

Neji and Tenten both sighed and stared in horror as the green clad shinobi began ranting on about the Spring Time of Youth and then burst into happy tears at noting he and his friends could spend an afternoon together, even though they did this every other weekend.

* * *

**A/N:** Hmm, I wondered if I should have ended it there but oh well. I'll update next Thursday if any of you liked it. But it wont be angst in the next one. Or as angst as this one was. If you asked me it could have been better.

Well, I hoped you liked this chapter!

**A/N 2:** Monday, June 15th, 2009 - Sometimes stories have no translation for words used regardless if it's common or not; many often have no idea of the words meaning. So, thanks to some translation tips I _borrowed_ from a **Del Rey Manga** book I have (_Gundam Seed_) and some words found in my Japanese dictionary, I figured I'd post a Translation Key chart at the end of each chapter where another language is used. I hope it helps. Any jutsu from the story that has been used will be added first above other translations in order it appeared.

**--Translation Keys--**

**-san:** This is the most common honorific and is equivalent to Mr., Miss, Ms., and Mrs. It is the all-purpose honorific and can be used in any situation where politeness is required.

**-sama:** This is one level higher than _-san_. It is used to confer great respect.

**-chan:** This is used to express endearment, mostly towards girls. It is also used for little boys, pets, and between lovers. It gives a sense of childish cuteness.

**Sensei:** This title is used for teachers, doctors, or masters of any profession or art. It's literal meaning is, "one who has come before."

**-[blank]:** This is usually forgotten on these lists, but it's perhaps the most significant difference between Japanese and English. The lack of honorific means that the speaker has permission to address the person in a very intimate way. Usually, only family, spouses, or very close friends have this kind of license. Known as _yobisute_, it can be gratifying when someone who has earned the intimacy starts to call one by one's name without an honorific. But when that intimacy hasn't been earned, it can also be insulting.

**Kunoichi:** Female ninja.

**Shinobi:** Ninja.

**Kunai:** A blade commonly used among ninja.


	2. Icha Icha: Basics?

**Disclaimer: I do not own the song "Broken" by Lindsy Haun that is used in this story. I also do not own the anime/manga Naruto. All rights go to the brilliant mind of Masashi Kishimoto-san. **

**A/N:** Ok, here's chapter two! It really does vary with this story, angst one minute slight humor the next, then slight romance. I guess that's just how life goes eh? Happy one minute depressed the next.

* * *

**.::Chapter Two::.**

"Icha Icha Basics?"

* * *

Sakura had already met with Ino outside of her apartment and helped her get settled in the guest bedroom. The kunoichi was now in her own room. Compared to her former room at her parents house, which had long since been abandoned, there was nothing more than a bed, dresser and a simple desk in the far corner near the window. The only thing on the plain white walls was a picture hanging over her bed that Ino had made her this spring. The only color to the black parchment picture was the white circle in the center, her family's crest, and the beautiful pressed flowers of reds, white and off-white colors around it. Inside the circle was a bloomed cherry blossom.

Even though they were still rivals, at least in terms of being kunoichi now, Sakura knew the hidden meaning behind the single bloomed flower even if the platinum blonde claimed she did it out of boredom.

Once more, her window was wide open. It was so wide and tall she could see over half of Konoha clearly which was kind of peaceful. Almost like she was guarding her home village. The warm winds came in calmly as she drifted to sleep.

* * *

_She was in a forest somewhere. The place was... creepy, to say the least. There were no tall lush healthy leaved trees, no bright blue sky above, no warm shining sun, nothing at all that resemlbed her home village. __The trees looked dead, as if even the slightest touch could make them fall apart. The sky was a dark gray-ish purple. It felt so cold. The only way to describe this place in one word was Death._

_The further she walked the more the trees seemed to be alive in a deathly way. At least these trees still had some leaves to them, even if they were dark brown and purple. The more she thought about it, the trees from before seemed more welcoming. At least she could see if something were hiding in them._

_One of the trees above head moved quickly, small twigs breaking. She pulled a few kunai and threw them in that spot but__ only heard silence. That is, until an amused chuckle came from the other side of the clearing behind her. She turned around but no one was there, and pulled out a few more kunai._

_"You missed." Came the deep amused voice._

_She grit her teeth together in instant irritation. Of course she missed, why else would he be laughing at her? __"Who are you, show yourself!" she demanded._

_Minutes that seemed like hours passed into the hazy opening before she felt someone jump down behind her, causing her to jump and turn towards the person. The sudden action made her lose her balance and collide back first into a tree with a loud thump. __She hissed from the pain that shot up her back, but kept her arms held up in front of her with her weapons of choice in hand as to block any oncoming attack, but none ever came. When she looked towards who jumped from the tree, she saw he was just standing there with his arms crossed, smirking. His black hair covering his dark eyes._

_Her own green eyes went wide with realization, the momentary shock made her drop the kunai's._

_"What's the matter Sakura. Too weak to even kill me?" He taunted, walking closer to where she stood frozen._

_She looked up at him when he stopped a foot in front of her. Wait, up? Sakura looked down to where she dropped the blades, then at herself. Why wasn't she thirteen, or even in the same familiar setting in Konoha? Where was she? She returned her eyes to his in confusion. "What... are you doing here?"_

_"I figured you'd be more than happy to see me. Don't tell me, you're chasing someone else around because of their popularity. I'm sure there's someone you're bothering." He continued to taunt._

_Sakura gasped at the bitterness in is voice. "W-What?"_

_"Well, it's the same reason why you chased me around all those years, so I must be right. Makes me kind of wonder who the poor bastard is."_

_"That's... That's not it at all!" Sakura said with wide green eyes. Where was these words coming from and why was she the target of his venom? Nothing made sense here. It was all nothing but confusion and hatred, something she didn't feel towards him in the least._

_"Save it for someone who cares."_

_Sakura saw him move quickly and she stumbled to run, but he was faster than her. She gasped at the sound of ringing metal echoing when he was in front of her. __She coughed..._

_He scoffed in deep irritation. The look in his dark eyes gave a hint of resentment towards her. Hate. "So is this all you're good for, to die? You were better off as a regular villager. Your a disgrace to the kunoichi and even more so to Konohagakure."_

_She gasped in shakily, eyes wide in pain. Sakurae fell to her knees when he pulled the sword out from her stomach, coughing up blood. The coppery taste made her cringe and her stomach turn slightly. __With one hand on her wound and the other supporting her weight on the ground, she looked up with blurry vision. She cringed again at the look of pure amusement and enjoyment on his face at seeing her blood spill by his hands. Why was this happening!_

_"Just imagine how Naruto would look... when I kill him and scatter his limbs all across Konoha with the rest of them." __Sakura gasped again as the tears made there way down her face. __"Join me."_

_"W-What?" She breathed out._

_"Your the only one who can get close to him. If you assist me in killing Naruto and everyone else, you can stay by my side." he smirked again._

_Sakura's heart stopped, thought's running though her mind a mile a minute. 'I can be with him... He'll really let me?' a flash of blonde hair blue eyes and a goofy grin entered her mind. 'Kill Naruto...? Just to be with...'_

_He almost grinned when she shakily stood up. That girl was always predictable. No matter how badly she tried to prove that she changed, in the end she was still the same pathetic little girl she was when she first entered the academy. 'This was too easy.'_

_"... No." she said darkly._

_His eyes narrowed at her sudden response and flaw in his calculation. "What?"_

_Sakura glared up at him the best she could. He ran a sword through her with the intent to kill her, and then has the nerve to ask for her 'assistance' in killing one of the few good friends she has!? "If... the only way to be with you--" she coughed more blood up, trying her best to get the words out. "is by killing Naruto... then I wont do it."_

_He growled. "Think about what you're doing, Sakura."_

_Before she had stood up, she grabbed both fallen kunai, now pointing the one in her right hand towards him warningly. "I wont! I made a promise to Naruto. He may be an idiot who can't get things right, but... He's stuck by my side and believed in me, through all this time he was always there. I wont betray that. Even if it means not going with you!" she yelled, tears continuing to fall._

_"I see... Too bad,"_

_"Huh?"_

_"That you'll never save him in time, anyway."_

_Sakura froze in her spot with wide eyes as the surrounding forest disappeared and everything turned pitch dark. There was a light where they both stood that was a crimson red. A third, white light appeared to her far left. __Naruto's head was lolled to the side, kunai and shuriken in him. A sword in each arm pinning him high on a random spot. Blood was running down the nearly transparent wall and a gaping hole where his heart was. The blood just kept dripping. Everything was slowly turning red._

_Her mind and stomach spun like a whirlwind. She felt dizzy, not knowing whether to be sick or burst into tears at the sight of her friend in that condition. 'No... t-this... can't... no... no!' she gasped out sobs as she fell to her knees. "NARUTO!!!"_

* * *

Sakura screamed and sat up, her heart was pounding to the point of pain. Her breathing was short and shallow and her room felt like an oven even with the open windows.

Upon hearing the scream Ino fell out of her bed to get to Sakura's room, fighting her way to get untangled the lilac colored sheets along the way. Ino kicked the door open after finding it was locked. After finding the light switch, she saw Sakura sitting in the middle of her bed with her arms wrapped around her legs, bringing them closer to her chest while rocking back and forth, crying and muttering incoherent words.

Ino sat on the edge of the bed. "Sakura! What's wrong, why'd you scream?!"

Head still on her knees, all she could manage to choke out was, "S-S-Sasuke... h-he k-killed N-Naruto." she cried harder once she was able to finish the sentence after several tries.

Ino gasped. When she registered what happened, her eyes became downcast and she leaned in closer. "Was it another dream?"

"Y-Yes." Sakura answered quietly, now starting to shake. She choked out another sob. "God... I-It felt so real..."

Ino attempted to hug her friend to comfort her, but Sakura pushed her back. "N-No!" she took in a breath. "You have to call him! M-Make sure he's okay!" Sakura pleaded.

Confused, Ino blinked. "Who?"

"Naruto!"

"Sakura, I'm sure he's fi--"

"N-No! Call him, please!" She cried, still shaking.

Heart still pounding from the previous scare, she sighed. "Okay, okay. I'll be right back, stay here." Ino got up and turned a light on before going into the kitchen to call him. The phone kept ringing and after the fifth time Ino was about to hang up on the seventh ring before,

_"--WHAT! IT'S FOUR IN THE FREAKIN' MORNING! PERVY SAGE IF THAT'S YOU, YOU BETTER HAVE A--!!"_

"Shut up, Naruto!"

There was a pause. _"Ino, that you? Why're you calling so late?"_

Ino sighed again at how quickly the idiot calmed down. "It's Sakura," she whispered. "I'm staying a few nights with her, but she just woke up screaming."

_"She's not hurt is she?" _Naruto asked quickly. _"Sakura-chan's okay, right? Right?!"_

"No. Well, no she's not hurt, she fine, but..."

_"Okay... THEN WHY ARE YOU CALLING **ME** FOR?!"_

Ino growled, feeling a nerve spot forming on the back of her head. "Because she's saying Sasuke killed you, you idiot!"

There was silence on the other line for the longest time before he barely managed out a, _"What?"_

"Look, I promised not to tell anyone but Sakura's been having odd dreams for a while and she's hysterical right now. I don't know if it's the cause of what happened before, but she wanted me to call you to make sure you were okay. Whatever happened in that dream of hers really shook her up. She's still crying." Ino peeked around the corner to the light shining from the room at the end of the hall. Even this far away, she could still hear her. "It kind of scares me when this happens, but it's never been this bad before, Naruto."

_"She's... crying?"_ he almost sounded heartbroken. _"Because she thought I died?"_

"From the sounds of it, yeah."

_"I'll be right there!"_

"What? No! Naruto you don't need to be coming over this lat at-- Hey, are you there?! Ugh!" The platinum blonde kunoichi slammed the phone down when she heard dial tone on the other line and went back into Sakura's room.

Sakura lifted her head from her knees when the sound of shuffled footsteps came back to her room. "I-Is he okay?"

Ino smiled weakly. It felt like a kunai went through her heart at seeing the pain the pink haired girl was opening showing. "Yeah, he's okay." she sat down next to her on the side of the bed. "Sakura, calm down. It was only a dream. That will never happen and you know it."

"But... I-It was so real," Sakura then explained the dream as clear as day. Ino didn't quite know what to say after that.

About the time complete silence rang through the room, the sound of a door slamming open then shut filled their ears along with rushed foot steps. A stressed out looking shinobi came sliding to a stop in the doorway, out of breath. "Sakura-chan!"

"Gah! You idiot, did you run all the way here!" Ino yelled. From where Sakura lived, Naruto was practically on the other side of the village. It was a good five miles, if you actually put some thought into it.

Sakura looked up and smiled. Though her vision wasn't well she recognized the voice. That is, just before jumping off her bed and glomping him in the hallway. "Naruto! You're okay!" she cried, her grip around his waist getting tighter.

Blushing furiously that she was hugging him, and that she was on top of him since they both fell to the floor, he stuttered. "S-S-Sakura-chan! I'm fine, but... I... can't breeeeeeathe!"

Apparently the kunoichi couldn't hear his feeble plea for air, because her vice-like grip only tightened to the point where he thought his poor ribs would break under the pressure. And with how strong he knew Sakura was, that was a very likely possibility.

Ino, a little shocked, sighed. "Sakura... you're suffocating him."

She gasped and loosened her grip, but never moved. Naruto sighed at being able to breathe again. Sakura was still crying though. He pat her back reassuringly. "I'm fine Sakura-chan. If you haven't forgotten, it's gonna take more than that idiot to kill me." he grinned goofily.

After another minute, she finally got up and went back into her room. Ino and Naruto didn't leave until Sakura fell back asleep around five in the morning. The two were sitting in the living room now, mulling over what had just happened.

"So... She really thought something bad happened to me, huh?"

"Yeah. She said that she has these dreams where Sasuke would appear in them but they were only about when he left when we were younger. From what she told me, this was the first time her dream was current in time. Apparently in this one, he had offered her a deal, that she could be with him." Ino explained. Naruto watched Ino's expressions carefully after wondering how that could lead to a nightmare. "... only if she helped him kill you and some others."

Naruto froze. He wasn't one to put much stock into dream, unless they were about ramen of course, but this one frightened him for both Sakura's sake and sanity.

"But she said no and she wouldn't go through with it. When she didn't change her mind he showed her you dead I assume. She was stuttering the whole time so it was kind of hard to understand her."

"Man," he sighed, rubbing the back of his head where his headband tied together. "poor Sakura-chan."

"Yeah... I think I might stay a little longer than I was planning to. Just to watch over her, ya know? Since the last dream Sakura said she had, it was what led her to her 'accident' and this dream seemed much worse. I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if something like that happened to her again."

"Yeah..." Naruto yawned and stretched when Ino stood up from the couch. He turned around so he could lay back on it with his arms crossed behind his head as a makeshift pillow.

"What are you doing?"

"I'll stay the night here, too. Besides, I used up too much chakra getting over here, so I'm a little tired." He yawned again.

Ino just shrugged to the obvious lie and went to get an extra pillow and blanket for the dope before going back to her room. At this rate, the only sure way to keep an eye on her was to be here constantly. Why did Sakura have to live so far away from everyone? Even Tsunade scolded her several times for being late because of the miscalculation on the distance. Still, all they could do was just be there for her.

* * *

Three months had passed. After Sakura's dream the night Naruto and Ino stayed with her, she really hadn't had one like it since. Once a week now, Naruto or Ino would stay a night or two at her apartment. Only if one was on a mission would the other stay longer than they really needed to. So it was pretty much, Ino-- Thursdays around 6:30 a.m. or Saturday's at 8:00 a.m. And Naruto-- any given day at any given moment.

Guess you could say Ino covered for Naruto when he was away. He seemed to get more missions as the days went on. Sakura felt a little envious. Ever since she started her training at the hospital, Tsunade-sensei never seemed willing to give her any missions. Sure, part of it was because the older woman worried and Sakura still sometimes trains under her, but it didn't feel right. It made her feel like she was getting special treatment... And the cold hard fact was that it was true.

Why did Sakura get to stay here all warm and cozy, safe and sound at home when there were hundreds of shinobi across the world. Fighting, risking their lives for their country or village... dying.

Right then she made a decision and she would carry though to it, no matter what. To mark Naruto's words: Believe it.

She had taken a shower and gotten ready. Sakura had on her basic red top with the black shorts and tan skirt, black boots and her hitai-ate in her hair. From there she went straight to Tsunade's office. Since it was around nine in the morning she knew for a fact that she was in no condition (cough--shewasdrunk--coughcoughcough) to have any meetings.

After Shizune asked permission, Sakura entered the double doors and now stood in front of her desk which was almost about to break under the weight of all the stacks of paperwork she needed to finish.

Tsunade sighed. "Well, isn't this a surprise. Haven't seen you around here for a while."

"Hai, gomen nasai. Um, Tsunade-sensei, I came here to ask you something."

"What is it?" Tsunade asked in a bored tone, pouring herself another glass of sake. What? It was only Sakura.

"Well, I've been a Chunin for a while now and I've been thinking lately. Well... I've decided that I want to become a Jonin--" Tsunade smiled, but before she could say anything, Sakura continued. "--so I can become ANBU."

Tsunade's smile fell along with her half empty sake bottle, the remaining clear liquid spilling onto the hardwood desk. "Sakura, do you know what you'd be getting yourself into? This is the ANBU Black Opts, it isn't easy. Most shinobi can barely pass the Jonin exams, let alone the ANBU."

From the sound of things, one would guess the Hokage was worried Sakura wasn't strong enough. No, that was not the case. The true reason was she didn't want Sakura sent on any high ranking missions. Sure, the elder blonde knew the kunoichi could take care of herself and also pass both exams, it was obvious she could if she put enough effort into it. But once more, Tsunade was just worried about her well being. Sakura, in the time that they've been training, has become family to her now. Of course it wasn't right that she always held her back from missions she was constantly requested to be a part of, but this was why Tsunade never asked her about wanting to try going to a higher rank unless it was something she wanted for certain.

"I know. But if it's for Konohagakure, I'm willing to try _and_ _pass_."

_'I knew that this day would come. She's already strong in the medical field, but... I just hope she's strong** enough**.' _Tsunade waved her hand for her to continue.

"So I was wondering if you knew when the next Jonin exams were."

"Not until mid July. It's mid February now, so you have less than five months to train. You should use this time wisely. I wish I could help you, but I've got a lot of work to do here. I'm so far behind, if I put it off anymore I'll just be building up _more_ work than _losing_ it. I don't think it would be fair to dump it all on Shizune, again."

"I see. And after the Jonin exam, how long until the ANBU?" Sakura asked warily, hoping there was a good distance between the two beforehand.

"Well, you see Sakura, they aren't scheduled like the Chunin and Jonin exams. It's at any time. First you must have your application and someone current in ANBU to submit it. You have to have at least three current or former members approve and sign the application. My advice to you now is that you should do your best and go all out with your skills, or you could give a bad reputation to the ones who've submitted your name. Don't worry about hurting anything. At any time after your application is entered, a random ANBU member will watch your skill level to see if you are indeed worthy of the title of ANBU."

"I see."

Tsunade sighed again. "Sakura... Please make sure that this is what you want. Because when your in ANBU and are called out you don't have the right to decline as you would just being a Chunin or Jonin, only to accept your given mission and complete it. Fatalities or not, you leave with your team."

"I know, Tsunade-sensei."

"Well then... I guess you should start your training now. If you wish to become a Jonin, psychical strength and your abilities in ninjutsu and every other jutsu are vital must-know necessities during the exams. There will be a lot of top-dog's out there wanting the title just as badly as you do."

"Hai."

"And during the last part of the exam, unlike the Chunin exams where you go against one of the other applicants for the final round, you will only go against them once to narrow down the numbers to whatever they see fit for this year if there are too many. Then as the final exam, you will go against another Jonin. But if you fail to defeat them, or if it's obvious your opponent will win hands down, then you will fail in becoming a Jonin for the mere lack of your skills." Tsunade warned.

"Hai."

She finally drank her sake. Setting the cup down, she took in a deep breath and sighed calmly. "I wish you luck, Sakura. I have faith in you that you'll pass both exams."

Sakura gasped a little at the serious tone in her voice. She blushed and bowed respectively. "Domo arigato, Tsunade-sensei." As much as she herself tried to remain serious, it was all too obvious in her voice that she was happy for her approval and encouragement.

Tsunade tried not to laugh at seeing Sakura biting her bottom lip to keep an ecstatic smile off her face. "Dismissed." She laughed, waving her hand for her to leave.

Sakura stood up straight and went for the door. As soon as she pulled the doors that were in front of her together Sakura squealed hyperly, still facing the (what she hoped were sound proof) doors. "Yes! I did it! CHA! I did it! I did it! I did it! I--!" she was jumping up and down in circles while clapping her hands together, feeling more alive than she had in a great while. "-- did it! I did it! I--!" Sakura stopped in mid jump when she saw what was behind her. She blushed deeply. _'--just made a fool of myself!'_

There was an amused chuckle. "Did _what_, Sakura?"

"K-Kakashi-sensei! I-I didn't know that... I mean... U-Um." Sakura turned an even deeper shade of crimson when she noticed who else was standing there with him: Nara Shikamaru, Inuzuka Kiba and Hyuga Neji. And it didn't help that Shizune was 'quietly' giggling over by her desk and Kiba was laughing. _'Oh jeez of all times to have done such an embarrassing thing! And in front if them no less!'_ Inner Sakura was cursing her bad luck with some _very_ colorful language she mostly learned from the Hokage herself.

"Well?" Kakashi's eye curved up into that damn happy little smile.

"Um..." Sakura cleared her throat into her hand to compose herself as if she weren't just doing a happy dance in front of the Hokage's office. "I was just asking for Tsunade-sensei's opinion on something, not that it's any of your concern." a thought came to mind, two in fact. "Um, Kakashi-sensei that reminds me, I have a question. You were in ANBU before, right?"

"Hai."

"And..." Sakura then meekly turned her line of vision to the person standing to the silver haired nin's right before asking, "Hyuga-san, your _in_ the ANBU, right?" Raising an eyebrow, he only nodded. "Hmm. Okay, kansha no kotoba. I was just wondering. Bye guys!" With that she waved over her shoulder and jogged off.

Kakashi watched curiously as her form disappeared around the corner. They then went into the Hokage's office to report their mission and to accept a new one.

* * *

Sakura was sitting on the roof of her apartment for one good reason. She knew that a certain silver haired Jonin would be curious as to why she'd ask about the ANBU. So, she decided to wait for him. While she was, she couldn't stop thinking of what the exams would be like.

"So, what are you up to, Sakura. Why were you really at Tsunade-sama's office this morning?"

She jumped before turning around. "Gah! Stop doing that!" Sakura yelled, hand over her heart. She sighed and stood up. "I was about to go to Ichiraku's... If you still want to know then you can come with me." Heh, free food. Kakashi shrugged. When they both got there and ordered some ramen, Sakura spoke. "Okay... When I went to see Tsunade-sensei, there was something I did want to ask her."

"Which was?"

"Which was," she sighed. "to know when the next Jonin exams were."

Kakashi looked at her oddly. The young kunoichi wasn't sure whether it was shock or excitement from the news hiding behind that dark eye of his. "You're thinking of actually becoming a Jonin?"

Sakura nodded, pink hair flying in her face. "Naruto has already taken and passed the Chunin exams last month, but... I want to do this."

"Why?" he asked suspiciously.

Sakura sighed in defeat. How could a man with one visible eye stare that intently? Inner Sakura deemed it was making up for the one covered. "Jeez, can't you _for once_ let me think that I have you out smarted on something? That get's kind of annoying after a while." she broke the chopsticks apart and started picking at the ramen in front of her. "I want to be a Jonin so I can become ANBU. I know I only have to be a Chunin, but I wanted to be at a higher rank. I really see no point in becoming one later, so why not."

And to her delight, Sakura heard him choke on his water. But reflexes be damned, the Jonin already had his mask up and had a hand over his mouth, still coughing a little. Sakura hit his back a few times. "Oh, come on! What's so wrong with me being in the ANBU? I _want_ to do this and I could really put my medical training into use!"

After he stopped coughing, Kakashi didn't say anything and they continued to eat (with Sakura still failing at seeing his face) in silence. Only when they were finished did he finally speak. "ANBU, huh?"

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"Well, for my abilities. I mean, if I can't use them to protect my home village what use are they if I don't use them at all?" Sakura asked.

"I see. So, was there any particular reason you asked us about being in the ANBU?"

"Damn it, Kakashi-sensei! If you already know then just say it Mister-Mind-Reader. But yes, I was wondering if, of course if you have time, you could help me train for the Jonin exams."

"Oh, why me?" Kakashi asked curiously.

Sakura smiled. "Because Shikamaru is too _troublesome_. Ino, Hinata-san and Kiba-san are still Chunin. And Hyuga-san... err, I doubt he'd help me. So! That leaves me with my first and one of my favorite sensei's. You!"

"So," Kakashi chuckled, amused by her attempted flattery. "I'm on your favorites list. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were just trying to convince me to help you."

Sakura smiled playfully, still looking at the counter in front of her. "Ha! That's where you're wrong Sensei, because you _are_ one of my _only_ _two_ favorite teachers." she said as a matter-of-factly. If the world knew nothing of this evil object known as a 'mask' then we could have seen the very faint, yet very cute, pink tinge on his face from her honesty. "So!" Sakura faced him directly, hands clasped together under her chin. She had a pout and even the dreaded puppy dog eyes. "Will you please, please, _please_ help me train for the upcoming Jonin exams?"

There was a long pause. Kakashi sighed. "Well, I don't see why not." he shrugged.

Ayame, the ramen shop owners daughter, smiled at the cute sight at the other end of the counter and giggled, setting another order down as everyone turned to the same two.

Sakura, feeling more pumped about the exam, leaped from her stool and glomped Kakashi. Who, was to say the least, _not_ expecting that as they both fell to the floor. Much like what she did to Naruto a few months prior, her arms were around his waist, not loosing her vice-like grip. "Oh thank you, thank you, thank you! When do we start training?!" she giggled.

Kakashi chuckled. And here he thought only Naruto could pull off the random glomping thing. "Tomorrow at seven a.m. sharp. Oh, and Sakura?"

Sakura looked up at him and smiled. "Yeah?!"

"One, I can't breathe and two, can I get up now?" his eye creased up nervously, several of the people in the small shop staring at them strangely or laughing.

Realizing this position, she blushed. "Oh! G-Gomen!" she jumped up and helped him up.

* * *

6:56 a. was laying back on the grassy field of team sevens old training grounds, her arms crossed behind her head, eyes closed. She could feel the warm sunlight beating down on her as she started to hum the song stuck in her head, then sing it.

9:12 a. was walking up to the field where he was supposed to meet Sakura at (two hours ago) while thinking of the perfect excuse to bother to use, seeing as how the truth would just irritate her even more than she probably already was. He masked his chakra when he heard singing getting louder and louder as he walked into the clearing.

"Wake up to a sunny day, Not a cloud up in the sky, then it starts to rain. My defenses hit the ground and they shatter all around... So open and exposed. I found strength in the struggle. Face to face with my trouble--"

Kakashi blinked. Sakura was sitting in the middle of the field, playing with a wild flower. Although it was kind of amusing, he didn't know she could sing.

"When you're broken, in a million little pieces, and you're tryin' but you can't hold on anymore. Every tear, falls down for a reason, don't you stop believing in yourself, when you're broken. Little girl don't be so blue, I know what you're goin' through, don't let it beat you up... Hittin' walls and getting scars, only makes you who you are, only makes you who you are. No matter how much your heart is aching, there is beauty in the breaking--"

He crossed his arms and leaned against a tree while noting the fact that Sakura still hadn't sensed him standing there watching her, obviously too caught up in the song to even want to notice anyone else was in the field with her. Kakashi sighed. Shame, shame. She's already broken at least three rules so far. One: Never let your guard down. Two: Always pay attention to your surroundings. Three: Always be prepared for an attack. Four: Always be alert of chakra signatures.

Hmm, so she's broken four... Now, how should he go about approaching this subject with her? One thing he's learned about the dear cherry blossom was to never surprise or embarrass her, because either way, it could end with one of them being in pain... mainly him. And for the embarrassment, he obviously couldn't just wait for her to finish singing. So the option? Still not quite sure.

"When you're broken, in a million little pieces, and you're tryin', but you can't hold on anymore. Every tear, falls down for a reason, don't you stop believing in yourself, when you're broken--"

But Sakura still should have sensed him by now even if her eyes were closed; she _is_ a kunoichi. Though once again, this was just amusing. Kakashi laughed quietly to himself, now only if Naruto was here he would have at least two of his dreams come true. Because he likes hearing her sing for one. And for two, he would remember what happened the last time he heard her singing. Naruto would just drool, get a nosebleed and faint like he did last time when he had _accidentally_, or so he claims, found Sakura in the hot springs when they were on their way back from a mission a while back.

Lets just say, the poor Kyubi container didn't fair to well... Nor his limbs.

"Better days are gonna find you once again, every piece will find its place. When you're broken, in a million little pieces, and you're tryin', but you can't hold on anymore. Every tear, falls down for a reason, don't you stop believin' in your self, when you're broken."

Kakashi stopped masking his chakra and 'poofed' in behind her. Sakura froze before standing up, turning around to face the masked ninja with an accusing finger pointed at him. "It's about time! I've been waiting here for hours!"

"Having fun?"

She blushed. "You're late! What was I supposed to do for almost _two in a half_ hours!"

Kakashi shrugged. "Well, you see I--"

"Got lost on the path of life."

"Actually--"

"A black cat crossed your path and you had to take the long way to maintain good fortune."

"Well--"

"You over slept."

"I--"

Sakura grinned deviously after rattling off his usual excuses. "The latest edition of Icha Icha Basics came out."

Silence. Kakashi coughed. "And what makes you think _that_ was the reason?"

"Because Naruto and that pervy-sannin mentioned it would 'be out in one week' exactly one week ago." she smirked. "But why it took two hours, I don't want to know. So can we just train now?" When she poked his shoulder he disappeared in a poof of smoke. "W-What?!"

* * *

Six hours later, Sakura was jumping through the tree tops with kunai in hand. When she stopped in the next tree, she could have kicked herself! During one point they made a bet on who could get the most wins in the sparring matches before her exams. And the last (and only) time she beat him was a total fluke! That was when the first edition of Icha Icha Tactics came out and Naruto was going to tell him how it ended so he couldn't use his Sharingan against them, since Kakashi would have been able to read their lip movements.

_'Damn, damn, damn! How could I have forgotten this?! Oh and of all times I had to pick to ignore them talking about this edition!'_ Oh Kami-sama. She had officially lost it, hadn't she.

Sakura stopped in her tracks when five shuriken came towards her head, surprising the hidden Jonin when she vanished in a poof of white and pink smoke with cherry blossom petals. How could he have been following a clone? He's been watching her the entire time! Unless... _'Sakura was hidden the whole time.'_ Kakashi moved away quickly.

Sakura smirked from her own hiding place behind the leaves. _'Nice try, Sensei.'_

Kakashi stopped on a branch when he sensed something coming towards him... _fast_. _'It's not Sakura or an attack, there's no chakra at all... It can't be.'_ His eye widened when he looked up.

It was a tree the same size, if not bigger, than the one he was currently standing on. Kakashi jumped away just before it hit. When it collided the whole forest floor shook violently as the loud quakes that followed echoed and both poor trees fell to the forest floor. He was a few trees away, hidden, eye still open wide. _'That tree had to of weighed more than her apartment complex! Did she really pick it up? She couldn't have!'_

Sakura was almost down for the count. She couldn't keep this up but for at least ten minutes more, tops. But she knew how long this spar could really last... She revealed her chakra when she returned to the middle of the field, knowing he was watching cautiously. "I wont attack Kakashi-sensei! I want to fight close range, not play hide-and-seek!" she called out loud enough for him to hear.

Kakashi jumped out of a tree and landed in front of her. "Hide-and-seek or just the makeshift baseball game with trees and boulders."

She grinned mischievously. "Can we please continue this?"

He nodded. Even though Sakura's kneecaps burned and her legs felt numb and like gel, she ran at him, planning to get him in the face with a right fist. Kakashi easily ducked it and was about to punch her in the stomach. When he did, she vanished in a poof of smoke and a log fell to the ground. Sakura ran up from behind him, throwing kunai's swiftly though the air which he deflected.

_'What the...' _Kakashi thought in confusion. There were small sacks tied to the end of the kunai's and whenever he deflected them they broke open. Dozens of miniature explosive tags were everywhere, even on him. They seemed to stick on him with her chakra.

Sakura smirked and threw a final kunai with more force than necessary. It had an averaged size explosive tag attached. "*Sakura Fubuki no Jutsu!"

Kakashi's eye widened again. "What?!"

All of the tags ignited as she jumped back from the explosion. She held a few shuriken up in defense, waiting until all the small pieces of earth and debris started to settle to see the damage. When it all cleared, there was a deep crater... and nothing else.

That's when Sakura felt something tight around her right ankle pulling her down into the earth as she heard the words, "*Doton: Shinju Zanshu no Jutsu!"

She growled and let herself fall forwards, punching the ground with a gloved fist when she got close enough, causing another crater the same size as the one from her previous attack to appear-- and making Kakashi let her go to escape the exposed hiding place. When they were across from each other in the middle of the field again, Sakura noticed that his Sharingan was activated.

_'Am I really becoming that unpredictable, or did he just copy my attacks?' _After thinking about it an attack like that was too simple and didn't involve any actual ninjutsu for him to copy. A thought, or rather, a memory came back to her thanks to Inner Sakura. She'd hate to do this, but it was the only way to beat him. "So, Kakashi-sensei," she said sweetly. "Did you really get that new edition of Icha Icha Basics?"

Kakashi eyes narrowed. "Yes. Why."

Sakura smirked again. "Oh just wondering. Seeing as how you might have missed out on what happens between Ai and Yuki." she responded, voice full of amusement.

He almost looked shocked. It was obvious that he was gaping behind that mask. "How'd you know about those two...?"

_'Jeez. For once I'm almost glad that pervy-sannin was telling Naruto about the new plot.'_ What a day, what a day. "Oh, you know!" she said cheerily, waving her hand. "You had two hours to read it since that's how late you were. Almost like in chapter four how they both get locked in a room because Ai's evil aunt--"

Sakura watched with pure delight when the black tomoe in his eye spun and both eyes went wide. "No!" he closed his eyes.

She waited a full minute until he opened his eyes again, using a sweet tone of voice to continue. "Oh! And the part where he walked in on her in the shower and just _had_ to take Ai right then and there in the steamed shower, making her scream his name, 'Oh Yuki!!' over and over again until--"

"Stop!!" Kakashi yelled, closing his eyes tight and putting his hands over his ears to keep the Sharingan from reading what she was saying. But her words, however wrong they were (which was more than wrong on so many different levels he didn't feel like naming), kept replaying in his mind. When the punch to the stomach came that he failed to avoid, it sent him flying back into a tree. Shattering it on impact. Before he could get up there was a sudden weight on him. Sakura had her left foot on his lower back, and her right foot on the back of his neck, preventing him from moving as she used chakra to make sure he didn't try.

Sakura put her hand on her hip, pointing the other at him. "CHA! Sakura one, Kakashi-sensei zero!"

Kakashi sighed with his left eye closed, his other gray eye half open in boredom. _'I can't believe this... What is this world coming to. The second time Icha Icha was used against me... by my own former student, no less.'_

* * *

**A/N:** Ok, I hope you liked it. The field part where Sakura is singing, I had it wrote as a small scene and as a different song. But I rewrote it and it was going pretty well, and what happens? AOL decides that it wants to boot me offline and I lose it. --sighs-- So it took me three hours and staying up until 6:00 a.m. just to remember that one little part and fix it up. So, I'm sorry if it sucks, the one I had before was better.

**Jonin and ANBU exams:** Making it up as I go. Suggestions are welcome. :)

**Glomp:** I laughed so hard when I was first asked a long time ago what Glomp was, or what Glomping meant. They thought it meant something perverted (how'd that happen?) so for those of you who still may be a little left in the dark about it, to Glomp someone means tackling them in a hug and knocking them to the ground. Or just hugging them with such force you and said person end up falling over. That, my dears, is a Glomp. lol

**--Translation Keys--**

***(1) Sakura Fubuki no Jutsu: **Cherry Blossom Blizzard Technique.

***(2) Doton: Shinju Zanshu no Jutsu:** Earth Release: Inner Decapitation Technique.  
**  
-san:** This is the most common honorific and is equivalent to Mr., Miss, Ms., and Mrs. It is the all-purpose honorific and can be used in any situation where politeness is required.

**-sama:** This is one level higher than _-san_. It is used to confer great respect.

**-chan:** This is used to express endearment, mostly towards girls. It is also used for little boys, pets, and between lovers. It gives a sense of childish cuteness.

**Sensei:** This title is used for teachers, doctors, or masters of any profession or art. It's literal meaning is, "one who has come before."

**-[blank]:** This is usually forgotten on these lists, but it's perhaps the most significant difference between Japanese and English. The lack of honorific means that the speaker has permission to address the person in a very intimate way. Usually, only family, spouses, or very close friends have this kind of license. Known as _yobisute_, it can be gratifying when someone who has earned the intimacy starts to call one by one's name without an honorific. But when that intimacy hasn't been earned, it can also be insulting.

**Icha Icha:** The book Kakashi always reads. XD lol In the anime/manga the actual first book is called Icha Icha Paradise and has an orange cover. I'm not sure what the second book is called but it's still Icha Icha and has a red cover. The latest and third book called Icha Icha Tactic's has a green cover. It's not for certain what the contents of these books are but it's indicated by the author, Jiraiya, that no one under the age of eighteen ban buy or read the book and is often mentioned as being perverse. So in other words-- it's porn. XD So Icha Icha _Basics_ is entirely made up.

**Kunoichi:** Female ninja.

**Shinobi:** Ninja.

**Shuriken:** A four pointed blade, commonly known as, "Death Star" "Throwing Stars" or "Ninja Stars" here in the West.

**Kunai:** A blade commonly used among ninja.

**Hai:** Yes.

**Gomen nasai:** I am sorry.

**Gomen:** Sorry.

**Domo arigato:** Thank you very much.

**Kansha no kotoba:** Thanks.


	3. Lies

**Disclaimer: I do not own the anime/manga Naruto. All rights go to the brilliant mind of Masashi Kishimoto-san.  
**  
**A/N:** Chapter three! Woo! I think this is the farthest I've ever gotten with a story. Anyway, sorry got the long update. Family issues caused me to put off all writing for a while... But! It's all good now. (kinda?)

**NOTICE: _03 / 15 / 2007_ - For those of you who haven't seen it, I've rewritten chapter two. Not all of it. Just around where the song was. And yes, I changed the song lol. I didn't really like it. I took out the i-pod thing too. I agree with a review I got about it. It just didn't go with the story at all. T.T so, sorry bout that. If you like you can read over it again. I kind of like the new song. I suggest you listen to it, it's very good.**

NOTICE: 05 / 12 / 2009 - I forgot to mention this in the Author Note's, but when I originally posted this chapter-- it was by accident! And I lost the other half that was supposed to be in this chapter, that's why it's so short. ._. I'm sorry.

**

* * *

**

**.::Chapter Three::.**

"Lies"

**

* * *

**

The next few days went the same, only Kakashi won their sparring matches at the end of the day. But he was surprised at how well and quickly she learned some of the technique's, given they still took a toll on her. Kakashi remembered that Sakura was usually the one who finished assignments before her teammates, but this was just ridiculous.

As of now Sakura was in her apartment. It wasn't even eleven p.m. yet and she couldn't sleep. She was just laying on her stomach, thinking. Mostly about things she shouldn't.

_'I shouldn't be doing this...' _

**_'Shouldn't be doing what?' _**Her inner self asked.

Hmm, now that she thought about it Sakura hasn't heard from her inner self in a while. As the years went on she's heard less and less of the little voice inside her head. If Sakura didn't have Ino to vouch for her, the medics would without a second thought admit her to the mental institution on the outskirt of the village. Typically it was full of people-- criminals that were mentally unstable. Others were traumatized ninja that had never recovered from terrible missions. _'Lying to them.' _

**_'And how are you lying? You want to be in ANBU, you need training. I don't see anything wrong here!'_**

_'That I'm okay. I'm not okay. I'm far from it. I don't like lying to them, but I don't know what else I should do.' _Sakura felt a lump form in her throat from all of her anxieties. Whether she was falling back into this mind set because Ino and Naruto weren't bugging her as much by staying with her because of her training, she wasn't sure. It's not that Sakura wanted attention. She wouldn't know what to do with it even if she did. It just seemed hard for her to be alone anymore. Sakura always found that what she wanted most was just someone to be there and she had many people who were, yet she continued to push them away. Not even the girl herself could understand this train of thought. Maybe she was confused. Maybe she wanted another kind of attention, Sakura still wasn't sure.

_**'Gah, here we go again. Then stop lying, damn it!'  
**  
'But... I don't like them worrying about me, they shouldn't have to. It's a waste of time and holds them back from what they really should be doing. It's my life. I should do with it what I want.' _

_**'Then what is it you want?'  
**  
'What I really want.' _

**_'Yes!'_**

_'... To die.'_

She sighed and closed her minty green eyes. Everyday, every moment is nothing but a lie and it's making her sick with herself. Fake smiles, fake laughs, fake happiness. Sakura smiles and laughs on the outside, is cheerful and energetic, joking and carrying on when she's with her friends.

But on the inside, she felt numb... Cold. Like she couldn't feel anything at all. Like she just wanted to scream or cry and break something. She hated it, hated herself for feeling this way, for feeling this pain that didn't make any damn sense to her. For feeling so weak that she couldn't even fix her own problems.

Sakura opened her eyes and glanced at her dresser where her kunai and shuriken lay out next to their holsters. She's been debating if she should do it again. To pick the blade up and bring it back to her arm, to end her inner pain and let it out. It felt like there was something constricting her heart, binding it even tighter than the moment before.

When she's with her friends, she forgets the pain. Sakura ignored it. It's when she's alone in the darkness that her own dark thoughts come out to take over, just like they did that night months ago. It didn't feel like she was herself when that happened. It felt like something was controlling her, that something or someone from afar was infiltrating her mind to make her think and see all of these horrible things.

She wanted to see light again. To be able to feel happiness, like when team seven first began, without trying to force or fake it. Sakura wanted to know what it was like to laugh and feel the joy of it again. But there was something about this darkness that wouldn't let her go. That didn't want her to try and feel at all. It wanted her to be numb of all emotions.

_'Is this what it means to be a shinobi... To feel nothing, nothing at all but the need to carry out your missions to your village. To be numb of all things you once knew?'_ She closed her eyes again, now ready to slip into another realm. Into some unknown place only her dreams would bring her. _'Because if it is... I don't like it at all.'_

_

* * *

_

It was now two weeks until the exams and Sakura was sitting in front of Kakashi, who was leaning against the base of a tree, reading the book she nearly spoiled for him. "Kakashi-sensei," she said boredly, it was three-seventeen p.m. "are we going to finish training or not? It's almost time for the exams and all you've been doing is just sitting there reading that smut!" Sakura crossed her arms.

"Ok then," Kakashi said, still looking at the book. "What's your element?"

Sakura blinked. "Element? What do you mean, and why is that even important?"

Kakashi sighed and put his book away. "You really need work on your ninjutsu and taijutsu. We'll work on the ninjutsu now and the other when the Jonin exams are over. But I've already been over this with Naruto. What your element is, is what attacks will be easier for you to create your own jutsu or support others. Meaning it will be more natural for you to use. Naruto's is wind, a rare element type." he unsnapped one of the pockets on his vest and pulled out a blank piece of paper and held it out. "All you have to do is insert a small amount of chakra into the paper. This isn't ordinary paper, it's specifically made for this purpose only. Your element will very depending on how the paper reacts."

"And how does it 'react'?" Sakura asked curiously, eyeing the parchment in his gloved hand as if it were an alien object new to this world. How come she never heard of this when she trained with Tsunade-sensei? To think, Sakura should have seen it at least in a report, or something.

"You'll see. Just try it." Kakashi encouraged.

She sighed and placed her hand on the paper when she gathered chakra in her fingertips. As soon as she touched the parchment, it reacted. "What the, how'd it do that?"

Wide eyed, he finally blinked. _'Who knew her element would be that, of all things.'  
_  
Sakura looked at the paper with amusement. "Hmm, so... What's it mean, what's my element?"

His eye creased up into a happy smile. Kakashi knew it aggravated people sometimes, especially his former attempted-and-failed--mask-snatching students. "It means a very good thing, Sakura. Oh, and the ninjutsu I've already showed you," she nodded, Kakashi stood up. "forget all of it."

Sakura fell, twitching. "What! If you were going to tell me to forget it then why the hell did you teach me in the first place!?"

"Because I didn't know what your key element was."

"Then you should have checked first!" Sakura yelled, flailing.

"Well, I would have," Kakashi looked away at an interesting little bug flying across the way. "but I lost the paper." he said casually.

She twitched. "Why you--!!"

Kakashi's eye creased up again. "Now, now. If you want to learn these new technique's, then you wont call me what your about to."

Sakura crossed her arms with a huff. "What now." she gaped at the technique's he began naming. "But I'm not strong enough for those kind of technique's! That paper had to have been wrong!"

Kakashi sighed. "Sakura. One, the paper doesn't lie. And two, if I could learn them so can you."

"That's different and you know it, you have the Sharingan! Unfair!"

"Actually, the first two I named I learned before I got it." Kakashi shrugged. Okay, so maybe he didn't know any technique's until he had obtained his Sharingan. What was a little white lie?

"But that technique--!"

"Is too strong for you?" Kakashi answered her statement. Sakura gasped and blushed, but nodded before looking away. Kakashi looked down at her. "You wish to be treated as an adult, to be taken more seriously?"

"Well, yes but--"

"And you also think you're too weak, that you can't step up to handle it."

"... Yes." She put her head down. Kakashi always seemed to be able to reach other peoples minds, but for some reason no one could ever read him. The bad thing about him was that whatever he said was almost always true.

"Sakura, if you wish to be treated as an adult... _Then start acting like one!_"

Sakura jumped a little. She wasn't expecting him to shout the last part.

"No one will ever take you seriously if you keep acting like a twelve-year-old. You've gotten stronger since you first became a kunoichi. Do you honestly think that Tsunade-sama would have trained you personally if she thought you were weak? Now, if you're done sulking for no reason, how about we work on those new technique's."

Sakura sighed. This would have to be the fifth time since she started training that he's lectured her. "Hai... gomen nasai, Kakashi-sensei." she said quietly before standing.

* * *

It wasn't until nine p.m. when she finally made it home. Sakura's legs were sore, her ankles and one of her knee caps burned and her shoulders were just as bad. But she'd just sleep it off. Whatever bothered her in the morning she could always heal.

She stopped half way into her apartment. _'Oh please tell me today isn't...'_ Sakura walked into the kitchen and her face fell at what she read, _Saturday _on the calendar. It was only obvious which of her friends was here today. If the fact that ramen cups were still laying out wasn't enough indication, of course. "Hey, I'm home!"

"Yo! 'Bout time you got back!" A voice laughed from down the hall.

Sakura followed the goofy laughter that led her to the guest bedroom. Naruto was sitting on the bed reading over a few scrolls. "What are you doing?"

The blonde shinobi sighed dramatically. "Pervy sage is making me look over these to help with some new technique."

The pink haired girl eyed the scrolls that stretched the length of the bed while some rolled off and across the floor. If Naruto had to study all of that he must be trying to learn something pretty good. Unless it came to training Naruto never really was the reading type, unless it was manga. "Really, what is it?"

"Uhh," he laughed nervously, grinning widely. "I'll... tell ya later."

_'If that's the case then I don't need to know.'_ Sakura thought as she sweat dropped. Go figure. And here she thought it was something good. Why did she ever even think any good of him when it came to his current teacher in the ninja art? "Um, okay... Anyway, I don't think I'll be here tomorrow."

"Wha? You have a mission?"

"No, I'll still be here, I'll just be gone all day. New training. Apparently Mister Lazy decided to change all of the technique's he wanted me to learn. So, all of what I learned beforehand means absolutely nothing." Naruto laughed. "It isn't funny!"

Naruto laughed even harder to the point of almost falling off of the bed. "If you've been training hard for weeks with new ninjutsu and had to forget it all and learn new ones I'm surprised he didn't start running right then!"

For some reason Sakura had an image of the said shinobi running like hell with what looked like her inner self chasing him with a kunai. She started laughing too. "I don't think his pride would let him do that."

"I know, but it'd be fun to watch." he grinned.

Sakura stretched and walked into her room. "I'm taking a shower and going to bed. I'll see ya tomorrow."

"Night, Sakura-chaaan!"

She laughed. Sakura noticed she did that a lot when one of them would stay with her. "Night, Naruto."

After she went into her own room and took a shower, she laid down. Her thoughts didn't seem as... heavy, as they usually did. It was odd to say the least. The kunoichi felt relaxed and comfortable just laying there. She closed her eyes, almost asleep. _'Why is it I can't think of anything tonight? I'm always thinking...'_ Sakura sighed. _'Maybe that's my problem.' _

Thinking too much. Maybe that's been her problem all along. The more she thought about her problems the bigger the problem seemed. No, that didn't make sense, did it? Here she goes again. But she just felt too relaxed to take on such dark thoughts tonight. She didn't know why or what it was but she was glad for whatever reason, some of the weight that she felt was about to break her was gone... Even if only for tonight.

As soon as she finished that last thought, she drifted into a light sleep.

* * *

**POLL: Ok, with her element. I decided to let you guys choose. I narrowed it down to two. Fire: Because I read her sun sign was Aries, a fire sign and due to her fiery nature sometimes. Or, Earth: Due to her name and appearance. The element will be posted in a few chapters and that's when the poll ends. So, tell me now or forever hold your peace.**

**A/N:** MWAHA! Chapter three complete. Heehee. Ok, so what did you think, it ok? I try to balance most of the angst with slight humor. And I noticed there really wasn't that much humor in this lol. But I think the next chapter will be pretty funny. Though I know most of are you like, _'WHAT!? Are you crazy!? This has nothing to do with the pairing this is under!!'_ Well, give me time lol. I'll update as much as I can, but we (_me, my mom and aunt)_ are supposed to go to Arkansas in a week or two. So I might not have the net for a few days. But until then, I think I'll have chapter four posted. Depends if this gets any reviews. I don't think it will but... I'LL JUST KEEP WRITING ANYWAY!!! CHA!!! lol I find too much amusement in things. Must have been that English Toffee Cappuccino I had today. I think I'm still a bit hyper. Well, until chapter four...Later!

**--Translation Keys--**

**-san:** This is the most common honorific and is equivalent to Mr., Miss, Ms., and Mrs. It is the all-purpose honorific and can be used in any situation where politeness is required.

**-sama:** This is one level higher than _-san_. It is used to confer great respect.

**-kun:** This suffix is used at the end of boys' names to express familiarity or endearment. It is also sometimes used by men among friends, or when addressing someone younger or of a lower status.

**-chan:** This is used to express endearment, mostly towards girls. It is also used for little boys, pets, and between lovers. It gives a sense of childish cuteness.

**Sensei:** This title is used for teachers, doctors, or masters of any profession or art. It's literal meaning is, "one who has come before."

**-[blank]:** This is usually forgotten on these lists, but it's perhaps the most significant difference between Japanese and English. The lack of honorific means that the speaker has permission to address the person in a very intimate way. Usually, only family, spouses, or very close friends have this kind of license. Known as _yobisute_, it can be gratifying when someone who has earned the intimacy starts to call one by one's name without an honorific. But when that intimacy hasn't been earned, it can also be insulting.

**Hai:** Yes.

**Gomen nasai:** I am sorry.


	4. Happiness Before The Storm

**Disclaimer: I do not own the anime/manga Naruto. All rights go to the brilliant mind of Masashi Kishimoto-san. **

**A/N:** And here's chapter four! And the element is...! Not going to be released until the ANBU exams! Heehee. When you have at least fifteen note books on your floor, eight Naruto Manga books on your bed along with who knows how many pencils and erasers, sketch books and a Shonen Jump magazine. You get the urge to write! This chapter may be a little longer, but that's because I have nothing for the fifth chapter! I had everything else pre-written. So, I might have a bit of writers block until I post the next chapter. Plus, a little thank-you for those kind enough to review at the end of this chapter.

* * *

**.::Chapter Four::.**

"Happiness Before the Storm."

* * *

**One Week Prior To The Exams...**

Is it a bad thing when you somehow fear what your ex-student is about to do?

Because this is one Hatake Kakashi's current predicament. Both were standing in the middle of the same open field just outside of hidden village's gates in the bright morning sunlight (well, mid-afternoon now) with Sakura glaring a hole right through him.

The Jonin laughed nervously, hands up in self defense. Eye also nervously creased up. "It was my only other option, honest!"

"..."

"Uh... Sakura?"

"..."

_'She wont kill me, she wont kill me, she... she's going to kill me.' _Kakashi thought with worry, idly wondering the best method of escape if it came down to it. Hiding in the ground for several hours obviously wasn't an option as the scary young kunoichi would probably just slip her gloves on and start bashing the ground until it eventually turned into sand. One would think she'd be scolded by Tsunade by all the damage she caused to the training grounds over the weeks. Guess being the Hokage's apprentice did have it's perks after all.

"When." Sakura said blankly.

Kakashi could have sworn he heard a faint tone of... malicious intent, just from that single word. Kakashi laughed nervously again at the thought. "Oh, in about... two weeks."

"But--" twitch. "you--" twitch. "said that you--" twitch, twitch. "would train me for three--" twitch. "more weeks after the Jonin exams, so I can go on a crash course to prepare for ANBU." twitch, twitch, twitch.

Ooh shit. Twitching once is enough warning to run. Twitching eight times means pain. Kakashi winced. Why did he have to have such a violent person as a former student? "Oh heh, heh. Yeah, well you see I can't exactly turn this mission down, Sakura." He could have sworn that she just growled.

"But Kakashi-sensei," she said through gritted teeth, forcing a sweet voice with the by now obvious malicious intent. "that only gives me one week for my ANBU training. I wont be able to do this in just one week."

A sweat drop rolled down the back of his silver head. "I'm sure you know someone else besides me who is still actually in ANBU."

"Like?" Sakura now had her hands on her hips, eyeing the trees and surrounding area out of the corner of her eyes to make sure there was nothing near by for the former ANBU member to substitute with. He wasn't about to get out of this one.

"Well, for example our current, sometimes, fourth member of team seven."

"Sai." Sakura deadpanned. She coughed into her hand. "Sorry for my rudeness when I say-- _hell_ _fucking_ _no!_"

Kakashi blinked, amused by the reaction, but refrained from laughing. "Why not? You know he could help you."

"I would like to have proper training _thank you_ and not the kind that consists of me actually trying to _kill_ him for always calling me ugly or hag!" Sakura snapped.

"... Ooookay, then what about S--"

"Shikamaru isn't in ANBU, _yet_." Sakura replied quickly. Already knowing how the lazy nin had been considering this for some reason. And also knowing him he would try it for a while and get aggravated with it unless Tsunade made him apply.

"Then how about K--"

"Neither is Kiba. Not until next year, anyway."

"Then--"

"Come on! You know that besides Tsunade-sensei, your the only one I want to train with!"

Kakashi sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose through the mask to suppress the sharp pain lingering it's way to the center of his brain. "Then just ask Naruto to help you with some of the jutsu you're having trouble with. You know his level is higher than Chunin and he'd be willing to help you."

"I know, I wouldn't mind training with Naruto but I want to learn more about ANBU, what I'm required to know, what I should be prepared for and to expect... and you're the only one I really know." she mumbled the last part.

_'So in other words, I was the only one she's comfortable enough with to_ _ask.'_ Kakashi sighed again. "Then the only one left is someone you're not too fond of."

"Who?" It felt like a hard back book called realization just hit the back of her head and knocked her over. "Woah, woah, _woah!_ That's like painting me red and pushing me in front of a charging bull!!"

Kakashi crossed his arms and looked around again. Where was a log or scarecrow when you needed it the most? "If you want to train with someone you know you can trust, then you have no choice."

"No way! I wouldn't even last two days with the guy, he's too strong!"

Kakashi raised a silver eyebrow. "And I'm not?"

"No! Wait... I mean yes! Ugh you know what I mean! But you wouldn't have me put in the hospital after one day of training!" Sakura tried to retort.

"He's not as bad as he used to be."

"No!" Sakura flailed.

"Scared?"

"... For my well being, life, or not being able to make ANBU." Sakura stated blankly again.

Kakashi was starting to get irritated now. "Just give it a chance, Sakura. If it doesn't work out, I'll try and think of something else."

"And what makes you think that he would help _me_, of all people?" And she nearly winced at her own stupidity. Sakura could feel another lecture coming on.

"Oh, I don't know, maybe because you were trained under me being in the first and only team I had ever passed, training under the Fifth Hokage, being a medic-nin surpassing Shizune and possibly Tsunade-sama, having insane strength, Intense Genjutsu abilities and because you have the habit of playing baseball with trees and boulders... _That_ good enough?" Kakashi asked the last part sarcastically after his rant. It was just sad how she never took any pride in her achievements. Bragging and owning what you can do are two completely different things. "Oh, and let's not forget precise chakra control."

Sakura hated it when he won arguments. And when she doesn't have a comeback, she then goes with her last and only option... She pouted.

* * *

**The Following Week...**

_'Oh great, what am I getting myself into.'_ Sakura thought in anticipation. _'The exam starts in ten minutes. What if I have to use those jutsu?'_ She scowled. First he tells her to forget the ninjutsu he had already taught her, then that she couldn't show any of the new ones until the ANBU exams._ 'I wonder why he'd do that?'_

_"-- HellooOOOoo!"_

Minty eyes blinked and looked next to her when a hand waved in front of her face, completely forgetting that Naruto was walking her to the academy for the first part of the exams. "Oh, what were you saying?"

Naruto sighed. "Nothing, forget it. Are you nervous, Sakura-chan?"

Well, if they say the Jonin exams make the Chunin exams look like the most easy thing there is, then she was screwed when it came time for her to go through the ANBU. "A little... I'm surprised you didn't want to be in the exams, Naruto."

"I might. I want to train a little more with pervy sage first, then when I enter the exams _you_ can help me prepare for what to do and look out for!" Naruto grinned, laughing at the look she gave him.

Sakura scoffed. "Go figure, I'd want for _you_ to help _me_ but it ends up being the other way around, talk about irony."

"Who else is in the exams?"

"Dunno." Sakura shrugged her red clad shoulders. "I don't think that anyone else is wanting to become Jonin anytime soon. The only ones who'd probably try is the rest of team Gai."

"Sooo, what's the score with your training with Kakashi-sensei?!" Naruto asked hyperly.

Sakura sighed and slumped. "Kakashi-sensei, one-hundred and fifty. Me, one."

"Oh, well that sucks." Naruto's arms crossed behind his head for a moment before falling again. "Wait! You mean you won once on your own and didn't tell me?! How'd that happen?!"

Sakura looked around warily at the villagers who stared at the hyperactive blonde by her side. "Well, it was an unfair win."

"How?"

She laughed nervously. "I used the latest Icha Icha series against him."

"Oh, I was wondering how you--" Naruto paused again. "WHAT!!?"

"Don't freak out on me. You remember when we went to Ichiraku's and ran into Jiraiya. He told you the plot and I used that against Kakashi-sensei since we started training when the book came out."

"Oh yeah, I guess I forgot about that."

"Hey! Forehead!" A new voice called out somewhere behind them.

Sakura slumped when they turned and saw Ino running up. "What now, pig?"

"We need new nicknames," Ino grumbled under her breath. "I just wanted to walk with you guys." she held up a piece of paper, her application. "I'm entering the exams, too!"

"Wha?!" Naruto pointed to her, scaring the person who happened to be walking by from his outburst. "B-But I thought you said that you wanted to stay a Chunin so you could take over the flower shop?!" Why was everyone trying to go up the rank ladder without him! First he's the last to become Chunin, now he's probably gonna be the last to become Jonin. If everyone was in there taking the exam he'd be pissed! There's no doubt about it, whenever he found pervy sage Naruto would be damned if he let him get away with it this time. Naruto wouldn't let him leave Konohagakure until he helped him with his latest technique! Even if he had to develop a new pervy one just to convince him to!

"Yeah well I changed my mind. So, lets go!" Ino smiled happily, continuing the trek through the village to the academy. Unlike the two beside her Ino didn't have that far to go to get to the academy. Turn left out of the flower shop, turn left on the third block, and it would take her straight to the academy doors. It's not like she didn't know how to get there. It was the same path she took as a young kunoichi in training, after all.

"Are you up to something?" Sakura eyed her suspiciously. The pink haired girl knew her friend was determined, but this was a little too enthused. Even Naruto seemed disturbed by something with this picture.

Ino groaned. "How does me wanting to be a Jonin end up being such a big deal? I don't see anyone freaking out about you walking there. And no, I am not up to something."

Sakura grinned. "Or is it there is a guy who only likes girls of Jonin status. I wouldn't be surprised if--"

"I said I'm not up to anything! I have no motive, I just want to be a Jonin, I don't want to stay a Chunin the rest of my life all right!!?" Ino snapped.

Sakura blinked. "Woah, okay, okay. I was just kidding."

Ino crossed her arms after scratching the back of her head. "Sorry, I just want to take the exams. If I don't pass this time then no big deal."

Naruto was hiding behind Sakura until they reached the academy out in the hall. Lucky for Naruto, Ino cooled down by then. "Good luck Sakura-chan! You too Ino!" Naruto called out from the other end of the hall, waving.

They nodded and waited a moment before walking through the double doors. As soon as they closed behind them, a chill swept over them both. Ino's brows furrowed in discontent to what lie before them both. "Uh, Sakura. Why does this look like uh... I mean... Well...." Ino whispered, unable to find words.

"A lot scarier than both Chunin exams put together? Then yeah..." She whispered back, trying her best to glare off all of the unwanted attention.

There were only few girls in the whole room not including themselves. All the rest were men and they looked... Well, is sadistic the right term? Yeah, should be. Most had many scars or tattoos which covered almost all of their arms and half of their neck. Others glared warningly at them and few had stares that almost, yes _almost_ made Sakura want to hide behind Ino, who was completely ignoring all of them. One thing was for sure. Sakura didn't want to be caught off guard by those guys. She shivered at the thought. Sakura didn't want to know what they'd do. Most of them weren't even Konoha nin's. The rest couldn't have cared less, they looked bored, while others just sat there waiting. They had forgotten if one allied village wasn't hosting an exam they were eligible to participate here in Konoha depending on how many openings there were from they're own village.

"Hey Sakura, isn't that Hinata?" Ino asked, pointing to a girl on the other side of the room who was leaning against the wall with her arms crossed, silvery eyes looking at the floor.

"Yeah, it is." They went to the left side of the room. She was the only one standing there, obviously avoiding the creeps with the leers. "Hey! Hinata-san!"

Hinata gasped and looked up. "S-Sakura-san, Ino-san. W-What are you doing here?"

"To become a Jonin, what else?" Ino asked happily.

"So... Father or Neji-niisan didn't have you look for me?" She asked, confused.

Sakura blinked when she noticed the younger girl didn't stutter. "No? Why would they send someone to look for you?"

Hinata looked away, blushing. "Oh, w-well... because no one knows I'm here. The only ones w-who know are Kiba-kun, Shino-kun and Kurenai-sensei."

"So you're here alone?" Ino asked, exchanging glances with Sakura. This was definitely one exam you shouldn't take alone. It almost instantly made the two feel worried for Hinata. They knew she could take care of herself, it was just her gentle nature they felt obligated to protect. Especially from the creeps in the room.

Hinata nodded. "But I'm wondering if I made a mistake."

Sakura smiled. "Of course not!"

"But, w-what if I fail and they find out?" There was no doubt in either of their minds that Hinata worried about what her clan thought of her. From what the quiet girl was willing to tell them over the years, it didn't seem like such the loving bond that Ino and Sakura had with their own family. Even though the girl was strong it seemed even that alone wasn't enough for them. In their eyes, Hinata was probably the weakest one among the family.

"You wont, we'll stick together! I'll make sure you pass this Hinata-chan, even if it means I can't." Sakura assured her, hoping she wouldn't want to back out at the last minute before even trying. They would have figured one of her teammates would at least be with her. Maybe they thought she would be able to do this on her own.

She blushed. "You don't have to--"

"Nope! The next exam is in December, only five months away and Naruto was going to take the exams then. So if I don't pass I'll just help Naruto out. See? Win-win either way, so don't worry about it."

"Same here! I'll look out for the both of you." Ino added. "Besides, you guys seem to want to be a Jonin more than I do, so it doesn't matter to me."

Hinata smiled. "T-Thank you."

There was a loud boom on the other side of the room as if someone kicked the doors open. In which, someone did and the doors slammed into the walls before closing the same way. Very few people in the room jumped, others tensed and took their seats.

"Oh, not _him_ again!" Ino whined with a twitch.

"Oh no." Sakura sighed.

He wasn't Ibiki but he might as well be. He never went by his name, everyone opting for calling him Sir. The man was tall and built bigger than the average ninja, although his attire gave away his profession clearly.

"Okay you vermin's, sit the fuck down or leave now!" The deep voice boomed. For some reason, he was the proctor for when they took the Chunin exams the second time. No one questioned why Ibiki wasn't there, because the poor sap who did was failed instantly. "For those of you who have any questions state them now. You can only ask one!"

Ino raised her hand after taking a seat. Like she was intimidated by this guy-- unlike the guy beside her who was shaking a little. "How many different exams are we going to take? In the Chunin exams there were only three but one I participated in ended up being four because there were too many applicants."

"There are only three main exams including the one that's about to start. There are tasks within each exam, extending it further. I am not permitted to release any more information than that concerning the matter. However, those left will fight against a Jonin in the end. If you are unable to defeat them, you fail! Only five slots are open for new Jonin. Hell, even if any of you in this room make it that far doesn't grantee you'll be accepted for the slot. We're looking for Elite. If you do not meet our requirements then you should remain where you are in the ranks and not bother us any further."

Ino grit her teeth together. Did he have an infatuation with the word fail? That prick.

Sakura raised her own hand. "Then what are the tasks in this part of the exam, is it a written test?"

"You catch on quick. Yes it is. You will have two hours to finish this exam. There are three forums you will have to fill out. One, being an IQ test, it being one-hundred questions. Two, a questionnaire consisting of fifty questions. And Three, to evaluate which form of Jutsu you have the best affinity with so we know who to match you with during the final exam." The proctor scanned the shinobi and kunoichi in the room before him, frowning how few grinned at is reply. "Don't let it fool you. The forums your about to fill out in this part of exam were made by the best Jonin in Konoha and the Hokage herself. To which village your from your own forum has been done accordingly as well."

Just then eight shinobi came out with clip boards. Two on each end of the room and four in the front. One of them, Sakura sadly noticed, was Genma.

The proctor waited until the papers were handed out. "And just so you know, unlike the Chunin exams this doesn't have to do with your spying ability. Intelligence is one of the most important factors in becoming a Jonin, without it you'll most likely die! Not to mention being a disgrace to your villages if that is something you lack when your being considered an Elite! Now, if you get spotted cheating even if once you will fail and will not be permitted to enter the Jonin exams for two full years."

Sakura froze at the smirk he had as he watched the occupants of the room. Holding her pencil tighter, she could even see Hinata, who was sitting in front of her one over to the left, tense.

"You have two hours until the end of this exam. I don't expect to see all of you here by then... Begin!!"

Most of the people in the room jumped slightly at the harsh command, but started flipping through the papers and began writing.

Sakura's heart beat faster as she read the first question on the IQ test. She sweat dropped. This was way more advanced from the questions in the Chunin exams test!_ 'Oh jeez, this is tough even for me. I know I might be able to wing it, but can Ino? There's no way she can use her shintenshin jutsu without the risk of getting caught.'_ Her question was answered when she heard a familiar feminine voice squeak out an "Eh!?" Towards the back of the room.

An hour later she was finished with the IQ test, as was Hinata. All trying to ignore the Prick who barked out orders for the cheaters to leave. _'Okay, I already have a headache so lets wrap this up.'_ She read over what she had to fill in first, glaring at how small the boxes were next to it that she needed to write it all in. It was pretty basic if you could remember it, it was names of common jutsu's, weapons and the like. All she had to do was give a summary of them. She twitched... Detailed summaries, which was picking at her brain. Sakura grinned after a while, writing down the answers quickly. Only thing left was page four and Test Three. The latter, to list all known techniques she is able to use, the element she has an affinity with, and that was about it.

Although, she didn't understand why on page four it asked for names of who she's trained with.

Finishing the very last page of test three Sakura felt like her brain was mush. Though some of the questions were medical ninjutsu or had something similar to do with it, so that was simple. But still, you have to pay very close attention so you don't give the wrong answers. _'Oh Kami-sama. And Naruto will be taking this? I should tell him so he can study, other wise he'll fail for sure!!'_ Her eyes narrowed as she stacked her papers; she forgot to sign her name on the first test, of all things. _'I wonder how Ino is doing? Hinata is already finished, too.'  
_  
Sakura looked up at the clock. Eight-fifty-nine am. Only one more minute left until--

"The written part of the exams are now complete! Those of you who failed to complete the tests before the time limit, get out now!" the proctor barked out again.

Sakura turned around to see Ino sitting two rows back, smiling. She sighed in relief before turning back around. There had to have been eighty people here at the start of the exam. Now there were only around twenty. Guess she must not have been paying attention to exactly how many left.

"For those of you who completed the test bring your applications to me." After collecting the first set of papers stapled together, the proctor grinned. "And by the way. How you've done in this portion of the exam can alter the outcome of your chance for Jonin. Any IQ level under one-hundred and fifty doesn't stand a chance."

After handing them in, they were instructed to go straight to the forest of death. When they stepped outside Ino took a deep breath and sighed dramatically. "Oh, fresh air! Finally I can breathe!" she stretched, keeping her arms behind her head as they began their long trek to the forest of death.

Hinata giggled. "I-It was kind of stuffy in there, wasn't it?"

"More like an oven. So, who cheated?" Sakura asked.

"W-What? I-I didn't."

Ino hesitated for a second. "Oh, I had to a few times. I'm sure they didn't see me though."

Sakura sighed. "I didn't. Half of that was basic knowledge you need to know for being a Medic... and for when Tsunade-sensei passes out on last minute reports that I have to help Shizune-sempai finish for her."

"I wonder how Naruto will be able to handle this." Ino mused.

* * *

The proctor was sifting through the test papers scattered about the large desk for one in particular.

Genma walked up and tossed the grade book on the desk, open on one students name. "As requested. Jeez, who knew you could really pull this off. How'd you get dragged into this, anyway?"

He sighed. "The 'real' proctor, as the odds had it, is sick. So I had to play clone today. And Ibiki-sama is in interrogations right now." he 'poofed' into smoke. "So, how'd I do?"

"You could be one hell of an actor, that's for sure. You could even give Ibiki a run for his money _and_ job, Kakashi."

Kakashi's eye creased up, he laughed nervously. "Too much?"

"Actually, dead on. That's the scary part. So, why did you want me to watch the little cherry blossom? Usually you tell me not to." he grinned.

Kakashi sighed again. "I just wanted you to see how well her skills have gotten."

"Pretty damn good. She didn't cheat, not even once. Her eyes were on the papers the whole time. The only times she looked away was to look at the clock and that was it." Genma shrugged.

Kakashi sweat dropped as he looked over her test sheet. _'Even I can't answer half of these damn questions. Even now she's probably the only one who didn't cheat.'_ Why the hell were half of these even in the exam anyway? Well of course Kakashi knew the reason why, it still didn't make it right. The Chunin exam consisted of your spying abilities. All this did was test how much stress you could handle. "That reminds me, I know I'm not suppose to but I owe them a favor anyway. How was the status of the two girls she was with?"

"Ah," Genma stopped to think who she left with. "you mean Hyuga's cousin and the Yamanaka girl?" Kakashi nodded. "The Yamanaka girl didn't cheat either, she didn't even look away once. Same goes for Hyuga."

"I see..."

"And now that I've got permission to 'watch Sakura's every move no matter what.' I can--"

Kakashi glared death seven times over on him. "If I see you near her or your eyes where they shouldn't be, I'll gouge them out with that senbon." he snapped maliciously.

Genma gulped, gripping the senbon tighter betwixt his teeth.

* * *

They stopped once they reached the group near the forest of death's gates. Sakura looked up at the giant trees and felt a little dizzy. That happened every time she came here. Those trees were just too tall for their own damn good-- plus she fell out of one of them when she was at the very top and almost broke her neck. Sakura still owed Shizune one for that.

"Listen up!"

They turned their attention to the trench coat clad, purple haired woman standing at the gate.

"Jeez, first him, now her again?" Ino sweat dropped.

"Go figure," Sakura sighed. "she pretty much does everything concerning the forest when exams come."

She smirked at seeing new bloods along with some familiar faces in the crowd before her. "As some of you may already know, my name is Matarashi Anko. Now! This exam is going to last for only two days including today. Your deadline being tomorrow night at Midnight. By the end of tomorrow I expect to see only ten of you." Anko pointed to the forest behind her. "There are thirty-two of you here now. There are only ten scrolls. Your task is to find a glass orb similar to this one," she held one about the size of a softball in the air, it was crystal clear with what looked to be air bubbles inside. "The thing is, you must find a scroll which is located somewhere inside the forest. Once you open it, it will inform you of where to find the glass orb in the nearest stream, pond or river. Once you find the orb go straight to the tower. There, you will hand the orb in for another scroll for your next task." Anko smirked out of pure sadism to what their reaction would be. "Remember, if you cannot find, break, or lose an orb you must take from another. As any shinobi would on a mission. If you still don't have it... you will need to kill your opponent to get it."

"W-What?" Hinata squeaked out, looking at Sakura and Ino worriedly.

"Great..." Sakura muttered, looking around. A lot of these people were strong, stronger than most at Chunin level. "Hey, Hinata-chan, Ino." Sakura whispered, ignoring what else Anko was saying.

The two girls leaned in. "This better be good, forehead."

"Whatever. Obviously we go in the forest as one person cells but they said nothing about being able to go in teams once inside. When we pick our gates, stop exactly one mile in. Hinata-chan, can you use your Byakugan to find us?"

She nodded. "I'll try."

"What are you up to?" Ino asked.

"Well, if everyone is in one person cells and we go in as a team we'll have the advantage and we can get this done a lot quicker."

"But what gates do we choose? My Byakugan can only see so far."

Sakura paused as she tried to remember the layout. "Gates twenty-one, twenty-two and twenty-three. Those are the only ones closest to the tower-- and river. Cutting off at least six and a half miles."

"How would you know this? You've only been here twice." Ino scowled.

"I've been helping Shizune-sempai train the newbie medics here. Once for a week, every two months we put their skills to the test here."

"I hope you girls have been paying attention." Came a voice from behind them. Anko grinned when they turned around, holding up three sheets of paper. "Now, you know the drill. Sign these, unless you want to get me into trouble." Anko shoved the papers in their hands before walking away.

Ino watched blankly after her. "How can she be so careless about peoples lives..."

"I... Don't think we need to know." Sakura shuddered before signing the forms.

After signing the papers and picking their gate numbers, Sakura stood in front of gate twenty-two, ready to take on whatever was thrown at her. After all, Kakashi-sensei told her that the only thing she had to worry about was the Jonin she had to fight against during the last exam.

But, Sakura had no idea of the living hell she was about to go through once she entered that fence and into the darkness. A darkness that made even her cruelest of dreams seem like welcoming light.

* * *

**To The Awesome People Who've Reviewed So Far...**

**Tsubaki -** :) Thank you!!

**to be Pinoy** - I think I know what this story was missing. It was detail, more minor detail then anything. The kind where your not just reading, your picturing it too. I'm still working on it. Thanks for reviewing!

**Yumiyume** - --glomps-- Ten-chan!! I know her off of fanfic. Thank yooou!! Heehee, and hey, nothing is wrong with liking angst, it's like an addiction for some reason.

**Missymee-Mee - **Thank you!! I'm glad I'm getting good reviews, lets me know I'm doin' this right (I hope) lol.

**ForeheatKATT - **Lemons!!! --cough-- I mean, um. lol I'm corrupt, sorry Hun. Thanks for the review!

**Silent Whisperer -** I use Icha Icha in almost any Naruto fic I can lol, I love it for some reason... And I know! I figured, well they actually got more than you'd figure a nin would, but I changed it a little. (I can't remember, did I keep her having the i-pod? lol) but I changed the song. I read over it and could not believe I wrote that... But I found a song I really liked and seemed to fit this more. So sorry about that, hope you like the edit to it. :)

**Zutara Lover -** I agree, my favorite (top four female characters) it goes: Ino, Tenten, Hinata, Sakura. But every story I've written so far has Sakura. It's just a lot easier to write about her being depressed and not have it seem OOC for some reason. Her character just seems more flexible personality wise and that's why she's most written about. But no worries, the next chapter will have more depression! Bwaha! She's been too happy lately, no? lol that was mean wasn't it... Oh well. Thank you for the review!!

* * *

**A/N:** So here you have it. --squeals-- Just ONE more chapter until our dear ice block appears, teehee. No, I'm not an obsessive fan-girl. I'm just hyper. Why, I don't know. lol I'll work as much as I can, but I hope I get more reviews. It makes me wanna write faster-- plus they make me haaaappy. You want me to be happy, don't you? --looks at the amount of reviews for the last chapter-- I guess not... --starts sobbing like Lee-- It's so depressing!! In a non-emo way, of course. --cough--

**--Translation Keys--**

**-san:** This is the most common honorific and is equivalent to Mr., Miss, Ms., and Mrs. It is the all-purpose honorific and can be used in any situation where politeness is required.

**-sama:** This is one level higher than_ -san_. It is used to confer great respect.

**-kun:** This suffix is used at the end of boys' names to express familiarity or endearment. It is also sometimes used by men among friends, or when addressing someone younger or of a lower status.

**-chan:** This is used to express endearment, mostly towards girls. It is also used for little boys, pets, and between lovers. It gives a sense of childish cuteness.

**Sempai:** This title suggests that the addressee is one's senior in a group or organization. It is most often used in a school setting, where underclassmen refer to their upperclassmen as _sempai_. It can also be used in the workplace, such as when a newer employee addresses an employee who has seniority in the company.

**Sensei:** This title is used for teachers, doctors, or masters of any profession or art. It's literal meaning is, "one who has come before."

**-[blank]:** This is usually forgotten on these lists, but it's perhaps the most significant difference between Japanese and English. The lack of honorific means that the speaker has permission to address the person in a very intimate way. Usually, only family, spouses, or very close friends have this kind of license. Known as _yobisute_, it can be gratifying when someone who has earned the intimacy starts to call one by one's name without an honorific. But when that intimacy hasn't been earned, it can also be insulting.

**Kunoichi:** Female ninja.

**Shinobi:** Ninja.

**Kami:** God

**Senbon:** A needle-like weapon (think acupuncture needles)


	5. Good Now Scream

**Disclaimer: I do not own the anime/manga Naruto. All rights go to the brilliant mind of Masashi Kishimoto-san.**

**A/N:** Yay!! Reviews!! _--hugs the said lovely reviewers to where they can barely breathe--_ At first, I thought this chapter was going pretty well. I had a plot quicker than expected and it turned out good, too. But noooo, AOL once more decides to change this. I edited this chapter and was about to post it yesterday and the AOL screen just shuts down on me! I lost everything I had open. But thankfully, I sent it to my dear friend, Ten-chan. So I at least didn't have to rewrite half of the chapter. This chapter is for **Silent Whisperer**-- who got me laughing with the "I want NEJI! I want NEJI!" chant lol so I added a scene with him here. Though, it isn't much. He'll be in the next chapter though. And to **Zutara Lover**-- who in a previous review wanted to see Sakura more depressed. I know she does deserve to be happy, but it just isn't happening this chapter lol. She's not quite depressed (if someone says emo I'ma bish slap them. yes I substitute bish for bitch), but is just going through a very difficult time. So! Thank you very much for the reviews, they helped me come up with this chapter. Hope you like it!!

**Warning: This chapter contains slight horror and will be a little gruesome.**

* * *

**.::Chapter Five::.**

**"Good... Now Scream"**

* * *

No! This can't be happening, not now, not when she's so close to finishing the exam!

Sakura dodged an attack-- a barrage of kunai and shuriken, but stepped on a trip wire in doing so. Her back was slammed into the base of one of the many giant trees when the explosive tag ignited, rolling down a few feet away from the tree with her face down on the torn and mangled remains of what used to be the forest floor. She coughed, an explosion of pain surfaced from within her. It felt like everything was bruised badly or at least broken, but Sakura knew better. It was just from the impact of the explosion, it's still affecting her.

She tried to strain her eyes to see through the darkness and debris. Sakura and Hinata were already there but Ino was no was nowhere in sight. Trying to push herself up, blinking through the dust and dirt in her eyes, she ignored the annoyingly dull pain in her right shoulder.

"Heh, heh, heh... How pleasant." A male voice mused.

Sakura shuddered at the underlying tone. It was sinister. Just full of bad intent and sadism. He had to be one of the few who eyed her and the others like hungry animals stalking their next meal before the written test. She coughed again. There was a figure standing a ways in front of her. He knelt down in front of something.

"Well, aren't you a pretty little thing. What's even prettier is those eyes of yours. A Hyuga, no?"

Sakura's eyes widened, heart nearly stopping at those words. No matter how hard she tried to get up Sakura's left leg wouldn't respond. "The hell..." She muttered, finally propped up on her elbow. Minty green eyes looked back to her legs, face paling at the sight that greeted her.

Sakura's left leg, the bone was sticking out through jagged pieces of flesh just a few inches below her knee. Blood poured from the fresh wound and the bottom half of her leg was bent back at an awkward angle-- a way it isn't supposed to be able to go no matter how bad you think it is. What irked the Konoha nin out the most was the way the bone came out. It was like looking at a snapped toothpick, which unfortunately, happened to be her leg. Sakura finally felt the pain of it but looked back to the barely conscious Hinata laying on the forest floor across from her.

The nin had hold of her chin, moving her head around to see her eyes. "I wonder... what the profit would be for a user of the Byakugan traits." he grinned wildly at the possibilities, a rough dirty thumb swiping across her forehead. "An unmarked one at that."

_'No... He better not... You leave her alone!!!'_ Even with the anger of what he was doing Sakura couldn't even speak. She was grinding her teeth together just to suppress the urge to scream from the pain her leg was causing her.

"Heh, heh. Or maybe I could just--"

"Don't you dare touch her!!"

Sakura's eyes widened slightly when the man was kicked square in the face, sending him back into a tree. Blood dripped down from his nose and mouth. A few white objects that couldn't have been anything other than teeth flew out of his mouth before hitting the tree.

Ino stood there soaked from head to toe with water, her once high ponytail had loosened almost down to the nape of her neck.

'"Now's not the time to go swimming, Ino, we already have our orbs--!!" Sakura stopped complaining further when she saw the glare directed to the man against the tree, groaning in pain and holding his face in disorientation. She's never seen Ino this angry before. Given how many times they fought when they were kids it was only annoyed irritation; this was on a level of it's own.

Her pupiless blue glare deepened. Ino cracked her knuckles just as Hinata wobbly stood up. "It's one thing to send those wannabe goons after me," another knuckle popped. "but it's another to want to try and use Hinata-chan as an object of your greed!"

The man barely had a snowballs chance in hell of getting away. Ino had grabbed him by the hair and slammed his face into the tree he hit. Sakura's eyes widened even more. Ino rammed his face into the rough bark of the tree one more time before pulling him back. The unknown ninja's face was covered in blood cuts and splinters and his nose looked broken with the way it was bent to the right. The blood from his forehead had ran down into the white of his eyes.

_'Holy... living hell, Ino what are you doing.'_ Sakura was baffled. She was honest in thought of never seeing Ino pissed off before. She almost... reminded her of inner Sakura, just without the comic effect. And that's really saying something.

"Do you have any idea what you're doing here!" Ino yelled, still having hold of him by the hair. He was barely standing up on his knees when she started punching him repeatedly, making him too dazed to be able to fight her off. The man was so lost in thought over the silvery eyed girl that he hadn't been aware of the blue eyed one that came out of nowhere. "It's to become a Jonin elite!" Ino kicked the side of his face, before he could fall back to the ground in a heap of pain, "Not a crook! You worthless, lowlife, jerk off!!" she pulled back and kicked him in the chest with a chakra filled foot, sending him back towards one of the ponds she came from.

Ino huffed, trying to catch her breath. Her blood was boiling and she had a headache. Ino, Sakura and Hinata had split up after a mile to lose some nin's following them, but they gained up quickly. She heard Sakura and Hinata fighting some of them but before she could get there two of his allies decided to give their boss more time by killing her. One caught her off guard with a technique she wasn't familiar with that dragged her under the water. Ino nearly drowned from not knowing which way was up, eventually managing to break the jutsu. Though, while they were fighting they mentioned something about many of the applicants noticing the girl she teamed up with, the one with a Kekkei Genkai. They said their boss was particularly fond of that Kekkei Genkai and noticed it in the first exam. The plan was to capture the girl, forget the exam and they'd be rich for whoever wanted to pay the most to get the bloodline trait. It was quite valuable, next to the Sharingan: Seeing as how the latter wasn't as common as it used to be. While one explained what their boss wanted from the girl, the other said what they wanted out of her and how it was a part of their agreement in helping him, besides the money.

Ino snapped at hearing this. Disgusted by the way they talked about Hinata she was finally able to kill them both by using *Shinranshin No Jutsu.

Hinata's head finally cleared and got clearer sight of her surroundings, gasping at seeing Sakura. Rushing over she tried to help Sakura, rather painfully, push the bone back into place as much as they could before she tried healing her. She didn't quite know the techniques that Sakura and Ino knew in healing, but she knew enough to keep someone alive.

Ino glanced back to see the two was alright before turning back, rather sadistically, where the co-called Boss went. If there was one thing she couldn't stand, it was sick freaks like him. Ino wasn't sure what had gotten into her but remembering what they said made her stomach continue to turn.

Sakura coughed. "--o! Arrgh, Ino!" she rasped, finally finding her voice. "Stop, just let him go he's not worth it!"

Ino ignored her old friends request and went through the brush, disappearing.

"Ah, S-Sakura-chan. P-Please be still. I-It's hard to heal w-when your moving!"

Sakura had pushed herself up halfway. "She shouldn't track him down and kill him just because he was attacking us, Hinata!"

"I-I know, but y-you have to kill sometimes, doing what we do. I know it's wrong. I'm not t-trying to justify the situation b-but he would have killed us, and m-m-might try to again."

She bit her lip and stayed put. Sakura had forgotten that Hinata only stuttered like that when she was nervous or upset. "I'm sorry, it's just..." That look Ino just gave before she left. That wasn't Ino. Ino was the usually hyper, cheerful, obnoxiously loud kunoichi. She fought when needed but never did anything that was unnecessary, but that look... It was just down right blood lust, and that's what scared her. "I'm worried about Ino. She's not been acting like herself lately. Something's out of place about her." Come to think about it, since today, she hasn't seen or talked to Ino for a few weeks. And when Sakura had seen Ino she seemed to be. Well, not herself. She was quiet and been looking more annoyed with things she'd usually ignore. And it seems like she's forcing happiness.

Something had to of happened, but she's not telling anyone what.

"I see." Hinata sighed. "W-We should head to the tower as soon as Ino returns."

Sakura nodded. Something happened to Ino and she wasn't going to let this go until she found out what. "Thank you, Hinata-chan." She smiled politely and stretched her leg. It was actually a lot better. Blood still covered her leg and it was a little bruised, which was to be expected, but it was still pretty good for someone who wasn't even under the status of Medic.

There was a rustle from behind them. Ino walked back into the clearing with her face void.  
_  
'I know that look.'_ Sakura noticed it before anything else. Not the spatter of blood on her, not the wounds, not even the missing fishnet on her elbow. It was the dead dull look in her eyes. The shine they use to have wasn't there, it was just... dull. _'Just... like my own eyes.' _Sakura thought before trying to stand up. "We need to get to the tower. We've probably alerted half of the other competitors from all of our commotion. If we don't leave soon, we're screwed. There's an area about seven miles from here that we can use to rest for a little while. We still have about twenty more miles to go from there before we can reach the tower."

Ino nodded. Sakura and Hinata had nearly depleted their chakra, and she wasn't any better. She only had enough for one small attack before she would be too. Other than that they were nothing more than sitting ducks out here.

_'It's not right... If it was the Ino I know, she would have complained right away on what made me in charge.' _Sakura thought warily_._

Instead, she agreed. "We should hurry then. It's about to rain, too." Ino looked up, the air was cool and the fresh scent of rain was there. It must be already raining not far from here.

As if on cue, the faint rumble of thunder echoed past them.

* * *

Kakashi stood atop Sakura's apartment building, watching the already dark sky grow darker towards the forest of death. He didn't worry this much when they took the Chunin exams but things have changed since then. Sasuke had betrayed them. Naruto was still being trained by Jiraiya. So the only original member of team seven left, somewhat slightly, under his care was Sakura.

Sakura was like his little sister in a way. Which is why he felt irked out right now. He couldn't very well see what was going on in the forest now, could he?

Though Kakashi still felt a little guilt. It wasn't because he wouldn't be able to train Sakura for ANBU, though Kakashi would have loved to. He's never had the opportunity to help someone out with that. It was because after Sasuke and Naruto left, he had forgotten about Sakura. The young kunoichi was still his student at the time and he didn't even bother to try and continue her training. Though Sakura decided to ask for training with Tsunade it's what really got to him. Because he wasn't there for her to ask.

All right so part of it really was because he couldn't help her become ANBU. It just meant another thing he failed at for her, and this time she asked flat out for his help.

So to try and make up for it Kakashi taught her every jutsu under the element Sakura had an affinity for so she could go through these new exams. It took a lot out of her and it was nothing but trial and error but the pink haired kunoichi learned them. It was up to Sakura to perfect them. He knew it would never really make up for what he did, weather she noticed it or not. But for the time being, it was all that he _could_ do.

"-kashi-sensei..." There was a faint annoyed growl. "... Hatake!"

Kakashi blinked out of his daze and looked over his shoulder with a lazy eyed expression. "Oh, sorry I didn't hear you."

"What did you need to ask that you just couldn't say earlier?"

He turned around, looking at the young man standing in front of him. Kakashi put his hands in his pockets, his lazy appearance lessened. "I needed to ask for a favor."

"... which is?"

Kakashi sighed. "I'm supposed to be helping someone train so they can take their ANBU exam. But, as bad luck would have it, I've been assigned to a mission I really can't turn down. Hokage's orders. I was wondering if you could pick the training up where I have to leave it."

"What's this persons abilities?"

"Very well in genjutsu. Needs a little more work with ninjutsu but is very efficient in executing new attacks. Taijutsu... is in dire need of assistance. Stamina is lower than what a normal ANBU members would be. Excellent chakra control. Medic-nin capabilities." Kakashi said, trying to summarize it.

"Hmm... I'll consider it. So who is he?" Neji asked.

"_She,_" Kakashi grinned behind his mask when the faint look of surprise registered over his face, only to vanish as quickly as it appeared. "is Haruno Sakura, one of my previous students. I believe you know who I'm talking about."

"Yes, but why would she want to join the ANBU when she could become a medic?" Neji asked curiously. Haruno didn't sound like she'd be cut out for the ANBU lifestyle.

He sighed again. "Would _you_ honestly want to be stuck inside a hospital all day?"

_Hell no_. Neji was just as bad as Kakashi when it came to hospitals. Just the thought alone made him want to cringe. Though he, unlike the copy-nin, wouldn't try and escape from one once admitted in. "... I suppose you have a point."

"You'll only have to train her for a couple of weeks in taijutsu or whatever you feel she's lacking."

"Nothing else?"

"No, all she wants is to learn everything she can about ANBU before she joins. I guess you could say she has a knowledge complex, if she doesn't know enough about something she'll do everything she can until she does know." Kakashi paused after a while. "And... watch out for her punches, she's got a mean right hook-- among other things." He mumbled the last part. The image of a boulder being hurled towards him etching it's way back into the copy-nin's mind.

"What?"

Kakashi coughed into his gloved hand. "Nothing. So, does this mean you agree?"

Neji stood there for a moment in thought before answering. "I said I'd consider it, I never said I agreed to anything."

"Of course. I'll be leaving two weeks from now, I can only train her for one week after her exam."

"Exam, you mean the Jonin?"

"She should still be in the forest of death as we speak. I'll need an answer by the end of this week, or the next."

Neji nodded in understanding.

"Just remember, Hyuga. You still owe me from the last mission." Kakashi grinned, eye creased up. To him and the others it was known as the Mission of Hell. He doesn't ever want to explain it, but just know it's bad.

Neji's eye twitched unconsciously. After months of meditation and late night training to erase the memories, the silver haired Jonin just had to go and bring it up again, now didn't he. "How could I forget..."

"Good. Well, I have to leave now. Remember, two weeks." And with that Kakashi 'poofed' away, leaving nothing but leaves swirling in the wind.

_'Why does Haruno really want to become an ANBU member?'_ Neji jumped down from the roof top to land on the street below, walking past a few people who were walking through the village._ 'After what happened to her, she can't possibly be mentally stable enough to handle the missions required let alone the entrance exam. If anything it will only make her condition worse than what it was or still is.'_

When Neji was on a mission with Naruto, the blonde said she was better now. But from what he overheard in the restaurant that day, she isn't better at all. She has to be hiding it. Hearing how sad she was, how dark her thoughts were. There's no possible way for anyone to be better after something like that. Especially when she tried to kill herself just to escape how she felt. It's just unheard of.

* * *

**Back at the forest...**

"All right, the last of the traps have been reset." Ino said, just now sitting down at the edge of a small stream next to Hinata.

Sakura looked up. The treetops were thicker here so the rain wouldn't be a problem. The area sat down between two hills, going down to the stream which was surrounded by a flat smoothed out rock on each side of the clear water. They had to make sure they were far enough from the stream incase it flooded from the rains.

Sakura rolled onto her side, laying about ten feet behind the two other girls. "We'll leave in a few hours. Just try and rest up as much as you can before we leave."

Ino fell back on the rock, not caring about how her muscles screamed in disagreement with the object under them, arms stretched out at her sides. "Just worry about yourself for now, forehead girl."

Sakura chuckled tiredly. "Sure thing, Ino-pig. Just oink when trouble is near."

More thunder started booming through the forest, the sound of rain pouring overhead beginning to grow louder... Sakura fell asleep.

Ino yawned, looking up boredly at the trees above her. "Hinata-chan, why'd you decide to take the exams?"

Snapping out of her daze of counting the fish that passed in the stream, she sighed quietly and pulled her legs in to sit Indian style. "Well, um, I," she continued to search for the right words to put together her reason. "M-Most of the members of my clan are already at Jonin status. The youngest to have ever become one was eight. Father was already a Jonin when he was thirteen. A-And Neji-niisan became a Jonin when he was fourteen." she said quietly. "I'm going to be sixteen in five months and I'm still a Chunin. My younger Sister, Hanabi, is planning to take the Chunin exam sometime next year..."

_'So she feels like everyone has done surpassed something she should have already been at.'_ Ino sighed at the thought, closing her eyes. "I know what you mean. I'm not turning sixteen until September. I didn't pass my first Chunin exam, of course none of us did. I didn't even become a Chunin until I was fourteen almost fifteen and... I couldn't even pass my first Jonin exam."

"You mean this is your second try?" Hinata asked in surprise, looking at the blonde girl next to her who finally opened her eyes.

"Yeah... It was from the second half of the exams, too. On the written test I wasn't using my Shintenshin Jutsu, I couldn't or I'd fail. Even though I spent all of that time studying I barely even got half of my answers right on it when they posted the results. I wasn't even able to get the orb... Well, I had one, but it was four against one and obviously I lost. I couldn't bring myself to actually kill them, they were the same age as me."

"Um... When did you take your exam?"

"Almost a year ago, a while after our second Chunin exams. Pretty stupid, I know."

"Didn't you tell Sakura-chan?" Ino paused. "Well?"

"No, I didn't. I didn't tell anyone, not even my Sensei or teammates." Hinata gasped at this. "I tried to do exactly what you did. I was afraid that if I failed, my team would look down on me. Especially Shikamaru. I mean, he was the only one who passed the first Chunin exam, he even passed the first Jonin exam he took, too. He's been thinking about being in the ANBU but he's trying to decide what was more troublesome. Boring missions that could barely be called A ranked or barely getting missions at all, and if you did get one it was most likely S ranked."

"Oh..." Hinata was debating to ask if she told anyone that she was taking the exam this time, besides them, but didn't want to ask.

Two hours passed, all three girls were now resting. That is, until a loud scream woke the other two up. Ino and Hinata jumped up, looking around until their sight landed on Sakura, who screamed again.

* * *

_Blood... Everywhere, it was blood._

_Mangled remains of Konoha residents. Men, women, children-- all dead. Random shinobi and kunoichi lie in the mangled mess, or was pinned to the sides of buildings by various weapons. It was freezing. Sakura could see her breath form into white puffs of smoke in the air even though it was mid summer._

_She began walking backwards, tears forming in her eyes as her stomach knotted and turned at the brutal sight before her. She fell onto the ground when she tripped over something, hitting her head hard on the ground beneath her. __Her mind clouded with pain, her head throbbing. She could feel the blood starting to seep out from the wound._

_She looked down towards her feet to see what she tripped over. It was a random severed leg, the skin burned and charred, blood still coming out from the point of severance. That's when the scent of burnt flesh reached her senses, making her feel sick and light headed._

_"Now do you see... This is all because of you."_

_She ignored the taunting voice that echoed around her, trying to look away from one gory scene just to find another._

_"This is all your fault."_

_She shakily stood up, her mind spinning. She tried to run away from the bodies that surrounded her. Crystalline tears flowed down her face. She wanted out, she wanted away from here now!_

_She slowed down when she spotted Ichiraku's. Part of the curtain was torn, her sight catching the colors inside. Yellow, black and orange. Finally calming her breathing at her new found hope, she took slow steps to the curtain, focusing her sight to stay on the form inside and not of the bodies that littered the surrounding area. She pushed the curtain back and entered._

_"N-Naruto?" She asked quietly, shakily. No response. "N-Naruto?" She asked again, reaching out to touch his shoulder. Naruto fell back onto the ground. Her eyes widened. His throat had been slit open, blood flowed from the still fresh wound. A kunai was embedded in his forehead cutting straight through the symbol of the leaf village on his forehead protector._

_She screamed._

_"They all had to die, you know."_

_She turned and ran passed the curtains, running away from everything, trying to ignore the dead bodies of her friends as she ran down more streets. She closed her eyes and kept running, pushing herself not to stop until everything was gone._

_"It's because you wouldn't listen. They would have lived if you agreed."_

_"Stop it!" She yelled, covering her ears as she ran and stumbled over a random corpse._

_"You killed all of them, admit it."_

_"No, shut up I did nothing wrong!"_

_"Your at fault for everything now."_

_"Shut up, shut up, shut up!!" she cried._

_She stopped running after a while, cautiously opening her eyes to find herself near the memorial stone. Wandering towards the said monument she caught a glimpse of silver and green. __She stopped. The man was on his knees, slouching there before the stone with his back towards her. __"K-Kakashi-sensei?" She gasped out, her breathing coming out in hick's from her racing heart. __She walked closer. Something was out of place. "Kakashi-sen--" she froze. "N-No..."_

_There was a metal spear pierced through the back of his neck and into the ground, pinning him in place. His Jonin vest now taking in a dark crimson rather than the customary green._

_Her heart nearly stopped when the world around her turned red._

_"This is what you've done,"_

_Her blood felt like liquid ice._

_"there's nowhere else for you to run now."_

_Her heart felt like it stopped but started beating again. Faster and more painfully. She could barely breathe. She wanted it to end, she wanted it all to just end now!_

_"Good... Now scream."_

* * *

"Damn it, wake up!!" Ino yelled, shaking her pink haired friend by the shoulders. Ino's voice shook from the way Sakura kept twitching and screaming in her sleep and Hinata was near tears. Sakura screamed loudly, making their ears ring before she finally stopped and quit moving all together. "Sakura!! Come on snap out of it, wake up!!" Ino continued shaking her.

When she stopped, Sakura's eyes opened quickly, tears instantly flowing from them.

Heart rate finally going back to a normal pace, Ino sighed and let go of Sakura to sit down next to her. "What happened to you, Sakura? You've never had a nightmare that badly before."

Sakura just sat there, slouched and looking blankly in front of her. "Dead..." was all she could murmur.

"D-D-Dead?" Hinata asked, quite spooked at having never seen Sakura like this before. Ino, on the other hand, was quite use to it now.

Her face was void, minty eyes betraying nothing but emptiness. Sakura spoke soft, yet evenly. "Dead... everyone. No one left. Blood. Remains. Bodies everywhere. Everything gone, even Naruto and Kakashi-sensei."

Hinata never looked so worried in her life.

Ino sighed. "It was just a dream forehead girl... snap out of it." she pinched Sakura's arm hard, leaving a mark. As if doing just that, Sakura blinked a few times, finally coming back to reality. "Remember Sakura, we're in the middle of the Jonin exam. If you spas out now you'll fail or die... So!" Ino stood up, hands on her hips and a familiar smirk in place. "Get up, forget about the dream and let's kick some ass! You forget we still need to get to the tower? It's already morning."

Sakura was about to open her mouth to speak but quickly closed it, trying to ignore what she saw in that other realm. She gave a small smile and stood up. "Right, let's go."

* * *

**A/N:** Ok, with the name of this chapter, "Good... Now Scream." I have no idea where it came from, it just popped into my mind while I was writing it and I liked it so much I put it as the title of the chapter. Um... heehee, plus I couldn't really think of anything else to put it as the title lol. And... strawberries for those who review!!! --nervous laugh-- What? Strawberries are good! I'm addicted to them. And strawberry cream pocky.

Until next time~

--

**--Translation Keys--**

***(1) Shinranshin no Jutsu:** Mind Body Disturbance Technique - Similar yet not to Shintenshin no Jutsu. Instead of transferring all of the user's consciousness into the target, it sends a spirit of confusion, causing the target to attack their own allies. They are aware of what they are doing but are unable to stop themselves. The hand sign for this technique, like the former, must be held or else all control over the target is lost.

**-san:** This is the most common honorific and is equivalent to Mr., Miss, Ms., and Mrs. It is the all-purpose honorific and can be used in any situation where politeness is required.

**-sama:** This is one level higher than_ -san_. It is used to confer great respect.

**-kun:** This suffix is used at the end of boys' names to express familiarity or endearment. It is also sometimes used by men among friends, or when addressing someone younger or of a lower status.

**-chan:** This is used to express endearment, mostly towards girls. It is also used for little boys, pets, and between lovers. It gives a sense of childish cuteness.

**Sempai:** This title suggests that the addressee is one's senior in a group or organization. It is most often used in a school setting, where underclassmen refer to their upperclassmen as _sempai_. It can also be used in the workplace, such as when a newer employee addresses an employee who has seniority in the company.

**Sensei:** This title is used for teachers, doctors, or masters of any profession or art. It's literal meaning is, "one who has come before."

**-[blank]:** This is usually forgotten on these lists, but it's perhaps the most significant difference between Japanese and English. The lack of honorific means that the speaker has permission to address the person in a very intimate way. Usually, only family, spouses, or very close friends have this kind of license. Known as _yobisute_, it can be gratifying when someone who has earned the intimacy starts to call one by one's name without an honorific. But when that intimacy hasn't been earned, it can also be insulting.

**Kunoichi:** Female ninja.

**Shinobi:** Ninja.

**Kami:** God

**Shuriken:** A four pointed blade, commonly known as, "Death Star" "Throwing Stars" or "Ninja Stars" here in the West.

**Kunai:** A blade commonly used among ninja.


	6. But Most of All

**Disclaimer: I do not own the anime/manga series Naruto. All rights go to the brilliant mind of Masashi Kishimoto-san.**

**A/N:** Yes I know GASP! She's alive! I got a lot of reviews for the last chapter... good reviews!!! --jumps up and down hyperly before sitting down to enjoy strawberries and strawberry ice cream with said reviewers-- Thank you so much!!! You really don't know how much they mean to me. I'm so very sorry for putting off updating for so long, it scares me just thinking how long it's been. Well, I'll spare you the excuses. Long story short a _lot_ has gone on that has prevented me from updating. Enjoy~

**NOTICE:** **_Tuesday, June 16, 2009 -_** I fixed the previous 5 chapters. The spelling and grammar have been all redone and I added a couple things, so please reread. XD With as long as it's been, I'm sure some of you will have to just to remember what's happened! lol Also, I keep a little **Update** list on my profile now, so I will keep posting story status as I go.

* * *

**.::Chapter Six::.  
**  
"But Most of All..."

* * *

_'Get to the tower, get to the tower, be alert, keep moving.'_

Sakura, Ino and Hinata stood outside the doors of the tower before being let in by a guard. Sakura had, for the most part, tried to burry the memories of her horrid dream far into the depths of her mind by thinking only about the Jonin exams, being alert, and just about any thought possible to keep it all vivid. Eventually she only remembered what scared her the most, the rest being blurred images rather than a clear vision of hell.

"He said to go to floor five, room twelve." Hinata said, pointing down the hall to another set of stairs once reaching the fourth floor.

Following the soft spoken girl until they reached the door, Ino gulped quietly. "So... what do you suppose is on the other side of the door?"

"Who knows," Sakura sighed, glaring at the golden number hanging on the said looming door. "They did say that there would be 'tasks' in the exam."

"But _what is it_ exactly, is what I mean. It's not like they'd booby trap it or something... right?" Ino asked with mild concern.

"Only one way to find out." Sakura took a deep breath and held it before pushing the heavy doors open. There was one window high up on the wall directly in front of them, the sunlight from it shining down on a table with five notes in a line. It seemed others had beat them to the tower already.

Cautiously, they walked to the number of which gate they had gone through. Sakura read the note aloud. "As you already know only ten of you may, or may not pass this exam. To narrow the numbers for the needed amount of new recruits, we've set up a small mission for you: You must open the card with your letter that contains the name of the proctor who holds a scroll you must retrieve at all costs-- minus the proctors life. If the use of ninjutsu, genjutsu, a kekkei genkai or weapons are noted during the bout you fail from the exam. Exceptions are senbon and taijutsu only. You will have exactly one hour to accomplish this task. The time begins when you find your proctor. We wish you the best of luck and for you to remember-- keep all possible options open."

Ino and Hinata skimmed over their letter with the same notion. "So," Ino sighed. "is it one proctor or two?"

"Who knows, I guess just open the card to find out." Sakura picked hers up, before opening it completely, "Oh no..." Sakura groaned in dread of the name printed neatly on the folded card. The other two girls didn't seem as displeased with their proctor.

"Great, they marked out half of our chances to win! Our only option is taijutsu and Hinata-chan is the only one who specializes in it the most!" Ino groaned.

Hinata laughed nervously. "Ah, w-well it wont work as well without the Byakugan but I guess I'm still the only one who specializes in that area."

They turned to leave the room, following the directions to wait until they had permission to leave the forest when enough people arrived.

Hours later the girls were sitting in front of the tower still waiting for permission to leave. They barely made it here with the glass orbs still intact. Just a half mile from the tower they were attacked. Two teams had joined together, forming a six against three battle. They thought for sure they were going to lose when two of the nin's used an earth style jutsu and made the ground to wrap around Ino's foot, breaking her ankle in several different places.

If it wasn't for a... near by hungry giant tiger, they would have lost all the orbs.

Ino winced when she accidentally moved her leg the wrong way. The other two girls were too low on chakra to heal it. Ino would just have to tough it out and wait until they got back.

Sakura sighed with back against the concrete wall. She was looking out at the forest watching the trees sway in the wind, being thankful for finally being out in the sunlight again. "I can't believe this exam. Either the Hokage thought this would be funny or it was rigged, I'll never know."

Two low but slightly annoyed groans of agreement soon followed the statement. When they turned in their scroll's and orb's they ended up receiving another scroll of instructions. They will have to find a proctor who they are assigned to and retrieve a key. That key will open a box in an office inside the village. The name of who they will face in the final Jonin exams will be in the box. But of course, the proctor wont just willingly hand over the key; they will have to fight them for it. Tricky part was how they planned to go against the proctor without the use of ninjutsu, genjutsu, or weapons.

"Why'd _he_ have to be my proctor for this?" Sakura whined, her head falling back against the wall with a frown.

"W-Who did you get again, Sakura-chan?"

Her frown only deepened. "The one and only, Shiranui Genma."

Ino grinned a little at the pink haired kunoichi's dislike of the situation. "Who knows, if you play _teachers pet_ he just might give you the key without a fight!"

Sakura literally choked on air. "What?!"

Ino laughed weakly, holding her hands up in defense. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding!" she looked over to Hinata. "So, who'd you get?"

"Um," Hinata pulled the scroll out and read over the name again. "... Kamizuki Izumo."

Sakura huffed. "Least you didn't get--"

"Yeah, yeah we got it already, you don't like him." Ino rolled her eyes.

Sakura pouted. "Ok then _pig_ who'd you get, hm?"

"Hagane Kotetsu."

"... Damn it." Sakura muttered, hoping it was someone else. It was obvious to her platinum blonde friend it was her intention that she got someone that would irritate her. It only pissed Sakura off all the more at the faint grin on Ino's face because of it. "So when do we have to do this?"

Hinata looked back to the scroll in her hands. "Not until one p.m. We have until Midnight."

Sakura looked up to the sky, it was just a little passed eight a.m. "Okay then, we still have enough time to go see Tsunade-sensei and grab some lunch before we finish this."

There was a long pause. Barely any sounds were heard aside from chirping birds and Ino near growling at her ankle for being such a nuisance. A Konoha shinobi walked around the corner of the tower. "Hey, you the kunoichi from gates twenty-one, twenty-two and twenty-three?"

"Yes?" Sakura said with a raised eyebrow. "Something wrong?"

"No. The last of the contestants just arrived, you can leave the forest now."

"Um... so we can pretty much do what we want until the end of the next task, right?" Sakura asked, making sure they'd at least be able to make a few stops to prepare themselves for the final task.

"Yes," he looked at them seriously. "By the way, this isn't the end of this exam just yet. If you haven't noticed-- you still have to leave the forest. Even if some of the contestants didn't submit an orb, they are still able to take one of the scrolls that you just received and carry out the exam. Most usually don't even bother with the orb and go straight for who's leaving. So be careful. Until you pass by Anko-san at the gate, you're still prey wandering out there." With that, he turned and walked back into the tower.

Sakura and Hinata looked worriedly at Ino, who was scowling at her ankle. "You sure you can make it that far, Ino?" Sakura began. "If you don't think you can then--"

"I can make it to the gate." Ino snapped. With the help of Hinata, she was able to stand up on her good leg. "Well forehead... I just thought of something. If you don't like Shiranui that much, I have the perfect idea if you can make it until the next test, of course." she grinned.

Sakura smiled unconsciously at the mischievous look in her blue eyes. "What do you have in mind?

* * *

Naruto was pacing in front of Ichiraku while talking to himself. He was acting a little fidgety. "Hey! I was wondering if... um..." he paused and scratched his head. "No, no. Uhh, ah I got it! Maybe after the exams we could..." Naruto was officially losing his mind trying to figure out the best approach of asking Sakura out-- again. "Arrgh!! I can't take this anymore it's driving me nuts!!" He shouted to no one in particular, not really paying attention to the people who stopped and stared oddly at him for the outbursts.

"Naruto, what are you doing..."

The said hyperactive blonde looked over his shoulder at the source of the lazy voice and frowned. "Oh... It's only you, Shikamaru." stretching, he crossed his arms behind his head. "What's up?"

Shikamaru refrained from rolling his eyes at the idiot. "The Hokage wanted me to find you, she said it's important... What were you doing?"

Naruto grinned sheepishly. "Oh, I was thinking how I'm gonna ask Sakura-chan out when she finishes her exam today."

He raised an eyebrow. "Today? I thought the exam for the Jonin was next week."

"Um, nope it's today."

"Well then Sakura must have missed it, 'cause she and Ino left for a mission."

Naruto tilted his head to the side, curiosity plainly obvious on his features when his eyes squinted together. "What do you mean on a mission? Sakura-chan and Ino should be in the forest of death. I walked both of them to the Academy yesterday morning." he affirmed with a nod.

There was a slight pause. "My bad, must've gotten the days mixed up. Anyway, don't forget to see the Hokage."

"Right, thanks. See ya later Shikamaru!" Naruto turned to run down a street, nearly knocking someone over in the process.

"Right..." Shikamaru sighed. "Troublesome. Why'd Ino lie about going on a mission?" He asked himself. This was something he'd have to ask the others about. Why on earth would Ino try to take the exam without training? It made no sense. Surely she was on the mission... right?

* * *

The girls made it to the gate and were on the way back home to eat and take a break before the next test, neither of them saying a word to each other as they left. They only ran into one problem on the way back, but they were able to fight off the nin's. After finding out one of them was a medical ninja, Ino had enough chakra to use her Mind Body Switch technique and used the other nin's chakra to heal all of them, but she had to act quickly.

But that wasn't why they didn't speak when they turned down different streets.

Sakura was looking down at her sandals as she walked, being able to avoid people as she did so. _'I had no idea...'_ Her mind was still spinning a little at the argument she and Ino had in the forest. Her mind kept going back to it.

* * *

_Sakura smirked at one of the nin's trying to challenge them. "You know pig, you're team would be pretty impressed if you managed to knock at least three of these guys out with a broken ankle."_

_Hinata's eyes widened a little. Ino simply returned the same look at one of the shinobi, several kunai and shuriken in hand. "I'm sure they would be... if they knew I was here." she mumbled._

_Sakura looked back at Ino over her shoulder, about to ask what she meant._

_"Perfect!" One of the nin's jumped up in attack mode about to slash Sakura with a kunai before she turned around. He would have wounded her badly if Hinata hadn't of thrown two kunai at him, one lodging it's way deep into his shoulder blade as he fell to the ground._

_The three girls were standing in a close circle with their backs to each other, watching closely as more nin's and what appeared to be their clones surrounded them. Sakura turned her head towards Ino, eyes still watching the shinobi this time."What did you mean by 'If they knew?'" she asked curiously._

_If Ino had told Hinata, then she might as well. "They don't know that I'm taking the exam. I told Shikamaru that I was going to be on a mission for a while."_

_Before Sakura could say anything in return a few shinobi lunged forwards. All of them were clones, but the katana's they had were very real. Doing a quick back flip, Sakura kicked one of their wrists, knocking the katana into her hands when she landed on her feet. Only being able to stand up quick enough to sidestep one of the two remaining clones she was fighting, she ran the sword through him, making him vanish in a cloud of ninjutsu smoke._

_Hinata was trying her best to defend herself against other shinobi with their clones and watch Ino's back at the same time. Ino never moved from her spot, only spinning and ducking on one foot, barely using the injured one to keep her balance as she threw and dodged kunai, senbon and shuriken. Catching what weapon she could flying through the air, she'd throw back just as quickly. If it wasn't for her training as a ninja, she wouldn't have been able to keep her balance on one foot like she was. Even though to the other nin's, it looked like she was just merely standing there with both feet planted firmly to the ground._

_If they had known she broken her ankle before they left the tower, they'd be in even bigger trouble._

_Even in the middle of a fight, it didn't stop her curiosity."Why the heck didn't you tell you're team you were taking the exams?!" Sakura shouted over the clash of metal on metal._

_"Just lay off it already and focus!" Ino retorted angrily, catching a senbon and flinging it as hard as she could at a clone near Hinata, sticking him in the eye with it as he fell over screaming in pain._

_Oh, wait... guess he wasn't a clone after all._

_"You should listen to the girl there, you might not wanna lose you're head!!"_

_After Sakura had killed off the clones, the actual nin jumped out, trying to aim at cutting her head off with a katana. Only to be jabbed in the abdomen with the blade she had. "CHA! Stay outta this, this is between me and Ino-pig got that!" she kicked him off the blade, turning around quickly she pointed it to Ino, not caring she was flinging blood around. "What's the big deal huh, and why didn't you even tell me?!"_

_The kunai Ino threw missed and she ended up punching the nin, being able to grab another kunai with her free hand she slashed at him, causing him to jump back to hold the wound on his chest. "Because I failed the first Jonin exam all right! Happy now!?" Ino growled back, throwing the kunai into the nin's neck. Hinata winced at how it imbedded it's self almost half way up the handle in his neck. Blood began to squirt out as he choked and grabbed at his throat before falling over._

_"Do what! What do you mean first exam!" Sakura shouted, grabbing onto the katana with both hands she ran it through another clone._

_Ino huffed to blow her bangs out of her eye as she scowled, trying to count how many were left. "I took the exam last year."_

_"What! Without telling me, why?!" Sakura gaped._

_Ino bit her lip. One of the nin's jumped down and was ready to attack her. Her head was down, making her eyes become shadowed. "Because..." he had already jumped back up and held the katana high in the air. "Because I... I'm tired of my teammates talking about me behind my back and comparing me to you!!" She snapped, holding three shuriken between her fingers in a fist. Ino swiped them quickly across the ninja's throat faster then their eyes could follow. Before he could drop the sword she threw the shuriken at his chest and he fell over._

_Sakura's eyes went wide, she couldn't see Ino's face because her back was towards her, but could see how her shoulders tensed up. "Ino, I--"_

_"Aside from basic ninja abilities I only know three jutsu and it's only ninjutsu. I'm not skilled in genjutsu or taijutsu at all. I'm barely skilled at ninjutsu and I have to have my team in order for them to work! I'm sick of it! That's why I've been training harder, that's why I've been taking the exam without anyone knowing, if they know I failed the first one then how is that gonna look on me?! I'm tired of staying around here while everyone else is out there surpassing me!!" Ino yelled. The anger and hurt in her voice was evident enough._

_Sakura and Hinata both looked away a bit sadly. Out of all the people they'd never guess Ino would have those thoughts, they've always thought of her as a strong kunoichi even in the academy days, one that never backs down, but... apparently she didn't feel the same way about it._

_Ino was staring at the ground, strange blue eyes narrowed in hurt. Her voice was barely audible this time. "But most of all... I can't stand it when one of my own teammates tells me I'm weak."_

* * *

Sakura opened the front door of her home. After finding something to eat she went upstairs to take a quick shower and rest for an hour or two to replenish chakra. _'I wonder which one she was talking about when she said that.'_ she wondered to herself. _'Hm. Well, it couldn't have been Choji. He'd probably be too scared to ever say anything like that to her. And I doubt Asuma would say something like that, at least not in that harsh of a manner. The only one who'd be able to say something like that to Ino and actually hurt her could only be...'_ Sakura sighed. _'Shikamaru. Of course, he's the only one blunt enough to say something like that to her and have it bother her so deeply. And knowing him, he probably said it like it wasn't a big deal. But that couldn't have been all he said. I've never seen Ino act like that. Whatever he said to her must've been extremely bad for her to react this way.'_

_

* * *

  
_Hinata bit her lip, looking towards the ground in thought. "Um, I-Ino-chan?"

After taking a deep breath and sighing, Ino glanced over towards the shorter girl. "Yeah?"

"Oh, well, um... Are you sure you're okay? I mean it still looks like your ankle is bothering you."

Ino was still limping a little. It didn't hurt as badly, but too much pressure made it feel uncomfortable. "I just wasn't able to heal it all the way, so it's still sore. Don't worry I'll ask my mom to heal it, I know she has to be home still."

"Alright then. Don't forget to meet us in four hours, that should give us enough time to rest."

Ino walked up to the front door of the flower shop. The only reason Hinata walked with her was because she had to pass by here on her way home as a shortcut. "I wont, see ya then. And make sure you wrap up your hand when you get home." Hinata had a few senbon go through her hand before they left the forest that she never tended to. After waving, Ino walked inside only to stop halfway at the bored voice speaking.

"Hey, so how was that mission to the forest of death."

Ino froze. Looking up she saw Shikamaru leaning against the counter. Ino tried to smile. "What are you talking about? Why are you here anyway, shouldn't you be out cloud watching or something?"

Shikamaru scowled. "Funny thing really, I happened to run into Naruto and he said he walked you and Sakura to the academy for the Jonin exams. I thought you said you had a mission to go on." Ino bit the inside of her lip at being caught. Shikamaru noticed how worn out she looked, beside the fact she walked in limping with dried blood on her. It wasn't until then he saw the torn clothing and missing fishnets. "I'm guessing you just got back from the forest, right."

Ino forced herself not to glare. She hated it when he sounded like he was analyzing every detail and was so sure of everything. She put her hands on her hips, shifting her weight from her half injured ankle. "So I took the exam, what's the big deal."

Shikamaru crossed his arms. "The big deal is you didn't tell any of us. You haven't even been training for the exam so how--"

"And how would you know if I've been training or not! For your information I _passed_ the forest of death portion and now I just have one more test before the final exam!" Shikamaru looked a little taken aback by the way she was glaring at him. Before he could say anything she continued. "I don't know why you even bothered to come here anyway..."

What the hell was her problem? She's been acting strangely around him lately and he didn't really know why. "Because for one we're still part of a team and you didn't even tell Choji or Asuma-sensei. Why'd you take the exam by yourself for, Ino?"

Ino started walking again, intending to walk by him and going up to her room, even if she had to take fifteen minutes to limp her way up the stairs one at a time. "Teammates would help each other out. I've tried asking you five times since last year. I _wanted _help training for the exams, but you blew me off each time I tried. So if you want to be my teammate now, then just leave me alone so I can get ready for the final test tonight."

The lazy shinobi could only stare at the kunoichi as she walked around the counter and through the back doorway. It wasn't long until he found himself caught between confusion, irritation, and some other emotion he couldn't identify from what she said. Was Ino mad at him? What the hell did he do to receive such a cold reply? When Shikamaru walked into the small shop earlier that day he thought for sure upon seeing the girl she'd gloat about how well she did during the exams and brag on how she wanted it to be a surprise upon discovering he was aware of her lying to him.

After walking out of the shop to nowhere in particular, he couldn't help but think about how Ino not only lied to him, but she was angry at him, too.

Damn, he wished he was twenty-one right about now.

* * *

Sakura scowled as they were drawing near where the final proctor would be. Ino and Hinata managed to get their scroll with the plan they came up with. It shocked Sakura at first but then she liked the plan. Now she regretted it. The final proctor was her proctor. Sakura was about to call out to Ino to ask her something, but an irritated groan interrupted her from nearby on the rooftop they'd landed on.

A girl with short light brown hair and blue eyes had her arms crossed, glaring in one direction. She had a Sunagakure headband.

"Um, excuse me." Sakura asked. "Is... there something wrong?"

She put her hands on her hips, not looking away from the direction she was staring in. "I'm trying to take the Jonin exams here, but.. Err, I can't do this! This is absolutely frustrating!"

Ino blinked. "Well what are those odds. We're taking the exam, too."

She turned around to face the three. "Yes but... If your in the same portion of the exam as I am in, then you should understand, I specialize in genjutsu only! I'm horrible at taijutsu and now I can't use weapons! I can't do this!" She shouted exasperatedly, eye twitching at the thought.

Sakura chuckled, eye also twitching. "Yes, we know the feeling. But why aren't you taking the exam in your village?"

"Oh, well." she walked up to them, crossing her arms again. "I had planned to take our exam next week, but Kazekage-sama said for me to take the exam here. I don't know why a week difference mattered, he only said that it was for the best to go here."

Sakura smiled. It was still odd to hear him being called by that. "From what I heard, he was trying to change the method of your Genin and Jonin exams, so he's probably just sending everyone to Konoha, since our exams aren't as... bad." Brutally violent, to be exact. But from what Ino had probably done it would have compared.

"I see... So how do we go about getting our scrolls, then? I've been trying ever since this morning and I can't think of anything."

An idea came to Ino. "'--keep all possible options open.'" she repeated from the letter in the tower. A new plan began to formulate.

"By the way, name my is Haruno Sakura, and this is Hyuga Hinata and Yamanaka Ino." Sakura smiled.

"Oh," she bowed politely. "my name is Mitsukoshi Misuzu. It's nice to meet you." she paused when she stood straight again. "If you don't mind me asking, how old are you three? You seem to be quite young."

Sakura smiled again. "Sixteen."

"F-fifteen and a half."

"Almost Sixteen."

"Oh wow," Misuzu blinked in surprise. "your trying to become a Jonin already?"

Sakura shrugged in a it's-not-really-a-big-deal way. "Don't see why not. My sensei as a Genin became a Jonin when he was thirteen."

"I see... I just turned twenty-three."

"I got it!" Ino shouted, startling the others. "I think I figured out the perfect way to complete this half of the exam." It was similar to what she had previously planned-- only this time, it was better.

Sakura raised a brow. "How so?"

* * *

Genma was standing on a random rooftop. Bored out of his mind. _'First they drag Kakashi into this, now me. Are they short handed or something?'_ He thought idly. Genma was about tempted to just say fuck it and go home. _'Having to deal with Chunin coming at me with taijutsu all day isn't the highlight of my day.'_

Looking over the many roofs, everything seemed calm. The sun was out shining, the wind was blowing, the giggling was-- wait, giggling?

Genma turned around curiously to see a girl with short brown hair, Konoha headband holding her hair into place. Bright blue eyes shining in the sunlight. Smiling politely, she asked softly. "Excuse me, but why are you standing up here?"

"Depends, are you one of the Chunin taking the exam."

Confusion flashed through her eyes before her smile fell back into place. "I am a Chunin, yes, but I'm taking no exam." she laughed softly. "I was asking because I live here." She pointed down to the roof top for emphasis. It was an apartment complex, after all.

He eyed her cautiously. She seemed to be weaker than most of the nin's taking this exam. Plus she looked too relaxed to be intending an attack.

She walked up in front of him. "Are you going to answer my question?" she giggled, tilting her head to the side.

Genma raised an eyebrow, curious to know if she was always this friendly. "Restricted information, Miss."

"I see, but isn't it a bit hot out here to be just standing there?" She had a paper file in her hand, fanning herself with it. She had on an extremely low cut white V-neck sleeveless shirt and a knee length tan skirt.

"So why are you out here then?" Great, he wanted to kick himself for gawking like that...

She simply smiled. "To know why a shinobi with a senbon in his mouth is standing on my roof in ninety-some-odd degree weather." It was hard to keep the humor from her voice.

He sighed, hands in his pockets. "Like I said..." he trailed off.

"Is everything alright?" the young woman asked.

He stopped speaking, eyes looking a bit dazed. Genma felt dizzy, going blank at times, then everything would begin to spin. Losing his balance he dropped to his knees with a hand to his forehead.

"Oh my goodness, are you all right!"

Genma almost lost himself at how much worry and concern was in her eyes. "Yeah, I just... got a little dizzy, I guess."

She smiled sincerely. "See, now what did I say. Your out here in ninety degree weather in full shinobi attire. Your just cooking yourself!" she giggled.

"Uh... Y-Yeah, I guess."

The hell. What was wrong with him? His face started to heat up at her smile... It wasn't _that_ hot out, this shouldn't be happening. And it couldn't have been from her because quite frankly, she wasn't that hot either. Pretty in a sweet, caring way. But no.

She helped him stand back up, still standing close to him. "Why don't you just go inside and cool down?"

The offer sounded tempting when it felt like it got twenty degrees hotter than it already had been. What was going on here? Was it the weather or was it because of the woman? This wasn't like him. His mind was scattered, no one, not even an attractive woman had ever got him this distracted. Something wasn't right but Genma's mind would spin too fast to be able to clearly decipher what it was.

She leaned closer, back of her hand on the side of his face. "Oh! Your burning up! You should really come inside for a while, you could die being out here like this."

Heh, it felt like he was dying, _now._

Genma put an arm around her waist, slightly leaning down to eye level with her. "I'm fine."

Her own face turn a pretty shade of pink. "U-Um, I don't think that this is very appro--"

Genma leaned closer. What the hell was he doing? He just met the girl! She started to lean closer also.

"--priate! I-If you don't go inside--" her sentence faded away when their lips made contact.

Suddenly, it felt cooler out. The oven-like temperature left and Genma, finally realizing what he just did, stepped back from her instantly. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have--"

She grinned, bright blue eyes full of mischief. The perfect picture of kindness and gentleness fading away with the new expression. "It's all right," she smiled. "know why?"

Genma eyed her oddly at the triumphant giggle, biting harder on the senbon betwixt his teeth. "... why?"

"Because I already got what I needed. Well, we."

What... Genma's eyes widened. Hand unconsciously reaching back to his shuriken pouch, he bit the metal in his mouth harder. "Shit!"

More giggling resounded behind him as he turned around. Ino was grinning, pointing to Sakura who was holding up two scrolls. As it seemed, Misuzu and Sakura both had the same proctor today. "Why Shiranui-san, how kind of you to let us have these!" Ino started giggling when his shock turned into anger.

"So that's what that was, huh. You used a genjutsu didn't you. If so, I'm sorry to say that your all--"

"Oh no." Ino held her own scroll out, using it as a pointer as she spoke. "The letter from the tower stated that, and I quote-- If the use of ninjutsu, genjutsu, a kekkei genkai or weapons are noted _during_ the bout, you fail from the exam. Ours wasn't during the fight, since there never was one. It doesn't state you cannot use one _before_, though. And it also doesn't say we can't help out other applicants or tag team. So, we cannot be failed if it doesn't state the facts."

Sakura couldn't help but smile a little at Genma's expression.

After a while he looked back to the girl who tricked him as grinned and removed her headband, revealing her Suna one beneath it and tossing the Konoha one back to Hinata. He smirked. "So, you figured out how to work yourselves around the rules... very good. But in any case your right. Follow the scrolls instructions. See you after the exam." Genma formed a few hand signs and poofed away. Of all the people, only eight were left and he ended up getting stuck waiting on two of them to show... Who knew they'd eventually tag team without knowing they were the only ones to be sent to him.

He scowled. Genma had to ask Kakashi if he knew about that little genjutsu trick Sakura used. What was hell was that all about?

* * *

**Later That Day...  
**  
Sakura walked through the streets of Konoha with a scowl in place. The poor people who passed her that said a polite hello got a glare. The ones who bumped into her got a growl, glare and most likely a curse.

Today was just not her day as she thought back to what happened around four that afternoon when she met with Ino and Hinata to finish the last portion of the exam. Okay, so maybe it was only a few hours ago and it turned out well in getting the scrolls through planning and team work. It was what happened _after_ that.

After the mulling over what had transpired, again, Sakura huffed. Her expression mellowed out and she didn't scare as many people she passed from her irritation.

Upon reaching the final task of the exam-- to unlock the box with the name of who she'd be facing in the final matches, Sakura soon realized why people said the Jonin exam could be a pain in the ass.

It was a number... A NUMBER!!! For crying out loud why have people go into the forest of death to find a scroll, to get an orb, to find a letter and card saying to go find another scroll inside Konoha that a proctor carried, to have that one tell them to find a key to unlock a box, to going to the matching numbered box all the way on the other side of the village, JUST TO HAVE ANOTHER DAMN NUMBER IN IT!!! Urrgh, just thinking of it all made her head hurt. The ones who make up the Jonin exams have a cruel and twisted sense of humor.

And to top it off Sakura wouldn't be able to help Naruto. Apparently they change some of the exam every time, meaning a new task and written exam. The only thing that remains the same are the final matches.

And along with the final number of her exam, a note from the Hokage herself along with the glass orb she had found in the forest of death as a memento. The air-like bubbles inside the perfectly shaped orb held colors of reds and pinks. After gazing at the orb again, Sakura skimmed over the note that read,

_-- Congratulations on passing this portion of the exams. The number you currently have in your possession is part of a drawing in who you will be facing in the Chunin VS Jonin matches-- Your opponent will be classified as unknown until then. If the selected Jonin draws the matching number to the one you currently hold, that is who you will be facing._

_The date for the final exam will be; 8:00 p.m. July 28th 2007. You will have exactly four days to rest and prepare yourself. Please use your time carefully._

Still, even after going back to her apartment to put away the items she had received during the exam everything that had happened the last few days rushed through her mind. It was so hard to keep up with the days and this exam was confusing the hell out of her. It was all nothing but mind, determination and stress exorcizes.

At least she had a few days of rest. Sakura and Ino both had some healing to do in the meantime before having to worry about going against one of Konohagakure's well-to-do Jonin. After taking a few steps out of her apartment, she faltered.

Who was she kidding! They barely made it out of the forest of death with all of their limbs intact by a bunch of other Chunin and they had to fight a Jonin?! What the hell was wrong with these people! If she had the energy to, Sakura would have without a doubt stomped her way up to the Hokage's office and asked what the big idea was, but she was barely able to drag herself down to Ichiraku's to meet with Naruto. As soon as the blonde found out she finished the second half of the exam, he wanted to treat her and Ino both to ramen. Why, she didn't know. Guess he was happy for the attempted change in rank. Sakura frowned again. When she called Ino to ask if she wanted to go, all she did was brush her off and say she was going to sleep the rest of the day upon returning home.

It made Sakura worry again. She smiled to herself, now understanding how they felt about what happened to her months ago. Ino seemed worried about something though. No, it wasn't worry. It was a mix of several different emotions and one of them was conflict. As soon as they and Misuzu went their separate ways Ino decided to go home.

"Heehee, you know you really didn't have to come here if you didn't want to, Sakura-chan." Naruto grinned when he saw the pink haired girl walking up. His grin fell a little at seeing the cuts and bruises covering her and the dark circles under her eyes. "Man, you look exhausted."

Sakura only smiled at her friend. "Don't worry about it, I'll probably end up sleeping all day tomorrow and the next day anyway. I broke my leg when we were in the forest of death and we only managed a temporary quick fix so I could walk on it. If I don't cool it for a while it could break again."

"You don't have to finish the rest of the exam soon like with the Chunin do you?" Naruto asked after they had both ordered something.

Sakura shook her head and gratefully accepted the glass of water set down in front of her on the counter. "We have four days. I'll go get my leg fixed after I rested a little. Besides, we came back to rest for a while after we got back from the forest but I couldn't sleep. If I fell asleep then my muscles would relax and then I'd know the full extend on what I've pulled. I wouldn't have been able to move at all." she yawned.

Naruto felt like he was caught between what to do. He wanted her to rest, but she seemed determined to stay awake for as long as she could. Her head would lull to the side and she'd jump when she leaned too far and almost fell off the stool. They finished their ramen and the blonde shinobi made sure she got home safely.

As soon as Naruto turned around to begin his long trek home, he shrieked at the sight of the silver haired Jonin standing right behind him.

"Gah! K-Kakashi-sensei, what're you doin' sneakin' up on people like that!"

Kakashi shrugged, hands in his pockets. "Didn't mean to startle you. I was just going to ask Sakura a question, but it seems she's already headed off to bed, hasn't she?"

"Yeah, she's really tired."

"Hm." Kakashi eyed the younger ninja in front of him. "Say, Naruto, you were supposed to walk Sakura to the academy, weren't you?" Naruto nodded. "Did Ino go with you too?"

Naruto looked at him strangely. "You know, Shikamaru was askin' me something about that too earlier today. He said that he thought she and Sakura-chan went on a mission. Why'd he think that?"

After walking away from the sleeping kunoichi's apartment, Kakashi sighed and scratched the back of his silver head. "Well, I was speaking with Asuma and Kurenai earlier today and it seems that both Ino and Hinata took the exam without telling anyone. Well, Hinata had told her team. I was just wondering if you knew anything about that."

Naruto frowned. "That's weird. I didn't see Hinata anywhere but Ino seemed pretty psyched about the exam, so I didn't think it was strange."

Kakashi sighed. So much for favors. No sooner he mentioned to Asuma how Ino had done in the first half of the exam, he dropped his cigarette and almost flipped. It didn't really help matters much when Shikamaru came along and asked what was going on after the girl's returned from the forest.

If Kakashi had to guess, he would have to say that Shikamaru and Ino weren't on very good terms because of this. He never saw the lazy genius as irritated as he was today.

Why did all hell have to break loose right when a surprise special edition to Icha Icha Basics came out? With all the secrets and tension in the air over Konoha right now it'd be to suffocating to be able to enjoy his series with a clear mind.

Kakashi looked over his shoulder to Sakura's apartment in the distance, hoping she would be able to summon that crazy strength of hers during the final exams soon.

* * *

**A/N:** (Sorry if something seems out of place here in this chapter, I've been up for the last two almost three days running on very little sleep to get this darn thing posted!) Oh good God I didn't expect this chapter to be as long! I had to cut it in half!!! Well yes, anyway, I'm back! Again **_thank you so very much_** for the reviews and I'm very, very sorry for putting off updating for so long! --bows in hope for forgiveness-- It was one thing after another! Life. It's wonderful. Anyway, I'll post the second half of this chapter, which would be chapter 7 shortly. Woo! I'm on a roll!

And to one of the reviews that has been stuck in my head ever since I read it... I can't look at chapter 5 without hearing, "Good... now spit." in the back of my mind! lol

Oh, and if you didn't get the part where Shikamaru wished he was twenty-one. Well, how old is it that you have to be to drink? Of course he was a shinobi and most are actually allowed to, but by his team he isn't. Haha.

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**--Translation Keys--**

**-san:** This is the most common honorific and is equivalent to Mr., Miss, Ms., and Mrs. It is the all-purpose honorific and can be used in any situation where politeness is required.

**-sama:** This is one level higher than_ -san_. It is used to confer great respect.

**-kun:** This suffix is used at the end of boys' names to express familiarity or endearment. It is also sometimes used by men among friends, or when addressing someone younger or of a lower status.

**-chan:** This is used to express endearment, mostly towards girls. It is also used for little boys, pets, and between lovers. It gives a sense of childish cuteness.

**Sensei:** This title is used for teachers, doctors, or masters of any profession or art. It's literal meaning is, "one who has come before."

**-[blank]:** This is usually forgotten on these lists, but it's perhaps the most significant difference between Japanese and English. The lack of honorific means that the speaker has permission to address the person in a very intimate way. Usually, only family, spouses, or very close friends have this kind of license. Known as _yobisute,_ it can be gratifying when someone who has earned the intimacy starts to call one by one's name without an honorific. But when that intimacy hasn't been earned, it can also be insulting.

**Kunoichi:** Female ninja.

**Shinobi:** Ninja.

**Shuriken:** A four pointed blade, commonly known as, "Death Star" "Throwing Stars" or "Ninja Stars" here in the West.

**Kunai:** A blade commonly used among ninja.

**Senbon:** A needle-like weapon (think acupuncture).


End file.
